His Apartment
by DayDreamingFairy
Summary: After years spent living abroad, Edward comes back to the apartment he's subletting to his sister Alice, thinking he'll have to share it with her for at least a few weeks. But is she really the one living there? AH. E/B. M for lots of lemons! COMPLETE
1. Home

_**Due to a major writer's block on my other story, I started working on this. It's lighter, and more fun! And also way smuttier ;)**_

_**Quick warning: there will be lots of lemons in this story, but who doesn't love a naked Edward, really?**_

_**I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**And as usual: I don't own Twilight. **_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 1 – Home<strong>_

**EPOV**

I'm sitting in the back of a cab, trying hard not to fall asleep. I look out the window and it's already dark outside. I barely see the buildings and the people walking outside as we pass by them. The streets lamps are almost blinding my sleepy eyes. I'm exhausted, I feel like I left home three days ago and have been on planes and taxis the whole time since. It hasn't been that long, though; only hours. Painfully long hours.

I didn't truly leave home either, since it wasn't my home anymore; and it's the reason why I'm here. The place I've been calling home for the past four years was in France; Paris to be more precise. Living there has been bliss. Well, expect for the last couple of months when everything started to fall apart and the desperate need to escape grew inside of me.

I'm back in Seattle now, to my old apartment. I haven't been in this city, in this country for a while; since last Christmas when I last visited my parents, I think. Alice will be thrilled that I'm back, I know that she misses having me around. This unexpected turn of events will definitely make her happy, even though it means we'll have to share the apartment I'd been sub-letting her, at least until we come up with an arrangement. Because even though she's my baby sister and I love her, I know we can't stand living with each other for too long. Her natural exuberance is really enjoyable, but when you live with her it can get quickly draining. And the mere thought of all the girly pink and purple shit she decorated the place with gets me nauseous.

The cab finally parks in front of the building and I get out, pulling out the three bags from the trunk that contain everything that's left of my life.

It doesn't really bother me, though, that I had to leave practically all my life behind and start over. I consider it a fresh start, a new exiting life just waiting for me to embrace it. I've always been a positive person, and nothing has ever truly brought me down. I will certainly not let a girl have that kind of effect on me.

I take a deep breath, feeling happy that I get to surprise my sister in a few minutes, and walk inside. I always kept a key to my apartment, even though I haven't lived here for years; it's still my place, officially. I walk confidently to the elevator, my surroundings feeling oddly familiar after all this time. It's unexpected, but I feel home.

I open the door to my apartment and call out to Alice, but I'm a little disappointed to see that she's not here to welcome me.

I walk straight to the guest room and it makes me smile. I can already see the temper tantrum she's going to throw when I ask her to move out of the master bedroom to give it back to me. It's actually going to be fun, messing with her again like when we were younger.

I put my bags down at the foot of the bed; I'm too tired to unpack now. I open one of my bags and pull out my sweatpants, t-shirt and boxers and head straight to the bathroom. I desperately need a shower, and a good night sleep.

I'm somewhat surprised that the bathroom isn't filled with dozens of girl products of all kinds. It doesn't look like Alice; no makeup sprawled next to the basin, no hair products of any kind, and no nail polish in fifteen different colors. It's actually nice to see she has grown up since we were living at our parents'. There're just a few bottles neatly arranged.

I turn on the water and quickly undress before walking into the shower. I instantly relax under the hot spray.

I'm home.

**BPOV**

I hate this. I'm standing in the corner of the room, trying hard not to look bored, but I can feel the fake rapt expression on my face fading as the long minutes pass. My feet are killing me, and for a minute I even consider taking off my heels; but let's face, there's no way that would go unnoticed by all the people gathered in the room for the occasion. I never even realized that so many actually worked here.

I shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other, attempting rather unsuccessfully, to ease the searing pain in my feet while pretending to be interested in what's occurring in front of me.

To be honest, it's a good thing that a new lawyer is joining our firm. And it's also a good thing that we get to know who's going to be working with us. But it didn't really require a three-hour get-together, a buffet and certainly not a thirty-minute speech from one of the senior partners and the new guy.

It makes it even harder to feel concerned that I won't technically be working with the famous Jacob Black. I'm an assistant, and as every other assistant, I'm working with one particular lawyer exclusively: Emmett McCarty. And I'm glad that this new addition to the firm won't change anything.

As the new guy's speech goes on and on for what seems like hours about how great it will be working together as a team, I notice Emmett discreetly walk to me from the opposite corner of the room.

"Hey, Bella. How are you doing over there?" He whispers to me, keeping his eyes on our talkative new colleague.

"I'm slowly dying of boredom," I murmur dryly, looking in front of me as well. "You?"

"The same," he groans. "This guy was the best lawyer in San Francisco, I'm really glad we got him to work here with us. But can't he just shut the fuck up already so we can go home?"

We exchange a quick glance and both try to stifle our laugh.

Emmett might technically be my boss, but we've been friends for a long time and it never affected our work. He was actually the one who offered me this job when I needed one. It was supposed to be temporary, only for a few months until I found something else. But we work so well together that I never even looked for another job.

I realize the monologue is over when the entire room starts clapping loudly.

"Thank God, finally," Emmett sighs.

"I'm going home, now," I say tiredly, "No way I'm going to stay here another minute."

"I'm going to shake the guy's hand, you know, pretend to be polite and stuff; and I'm out of here too," he says as he starts walking to the front of the room, and winks at me.

"Ok, see you tomorrow," I smile at him.

I politely say goodbye to the few colleagues around me and exit the room.

As I walk to the parking lot and during the entire drive home, I can only think of one thing: taking my shoes and clothes off and taking a long hot shower. I can't even wait until I'm inside the apartment, I start kicking off my pumps in the hallway.

I have my shoes, my purse and my jacket in my hands as I fumble with the keys to open the door. I feel my phone buzzing in my purse and laboriously reach for it. It's a text from Alice.

_Movie night tomorrow at my place?_

I quickly type a reply to let her know that I'm in, and put my phone back in my purse. Without thinking I grab the handle and open the door. I pause for a second, wondering whether I just unlocked it or not, when it dawns on me that the door was in fact already open. It never happened to me before to leave it unlocked.

I slowly walk inside and stop dead in my tracks. My stomach flips when I see light coming from the bathroom and hear the water running.

I try to calm down and analyze the situation. It's not a burglar, otherwise he wouldn't be in the shower. So who the fuck is using my bathroom? The only person I gave a key to is Alice, but it can't be her since she just sent me a text.

I take my phone back and quietly put my bag, my shoes and my jacket on the floor. I consider calling the cops any way, but they would take longer than a shower to get here. Maybe I could call Alice since she's not asleep; but it'd be useless. She would freak out even more than me and wouldn't be of any help.

I finally decide to move from my spot in the hallway and slowly walk to the bathroom to see for myself who's in there. I make a quick detour on my way to grab a knife from the kitchen.

I always found it stupid when I saw girls do that in movies. I have no experience in self-defense, and I would probably end up hurting myself with the knife; or providing the intruder with a weapon if he didn't already have one.

I sneak down the hallway, the loud beating of my heart resonating in my ears, and slowly push the bathroom door open, hoping to take by surprise whoever's inside.

I open it just a little and stay frozen in astonishment as I finally see. There's a naked man in my shower.

I want to yell at him, ask him what the hell he's doing there, how he even got in. But no sound is coming out of my mouth. The words are trapped somewhere between my brain and my lips, unable to get out. All my body seems to be capable of right now, is stare at him.

He's facing the opposite wall, his back turned to me. My eyes travel from the stream of water pouring on his light brown hair, cascading down his strong back. The water seems to undulate over his muscles and deliciously flow down his perfect ass. He has a tattoo on the left side of his back and I can see it continues over his shoulder and around his waist, as well as one around his right forearm; but the water is blurring them and from where I stand I can't really discern either of them.

He shifts to his side, his profile to me now; and before I can force myself to look at his face, my eyes catch sight of his torso, his defined abs, and his long, thick, erect penis. I don't even know this guy, and more importantly, I'm supposed to be worried that he's in my apartment; but I can't think clearly. I've never seen a man so…tempting before. My eyes are roaming all over his body and I find myself licking my lips. In my inexplicable lust-induced daze, I let the knife slip from my fingers and fall loudly on the floor, startling me back to full consciousness.

I quickly walk back to the living room, afraid that he caught me seeing him. I'm not even sure why I feel guilty when this man has absolutely no valid reason to be here.

_Because you were ogling him like a perv, that's why!_

The sound of the running water instantly stops and I hear rumbling in the other room. I steel myself for the confrontation, and suddenly I regret forgetting to pick up the knife from the floor.

I hear the door open and see the light pouring into the hallway.

"Al?" the man asks coolly.

Wait, why is he calling Alice? Who is this guy?

Just a second later he walks into the living room, wearing only a pair of sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips. I struggle to stay focused and finally put the pieces together.

The man in front of me isn't a stranger, a burglar, or someone who broke into my apartment. He had a key, he knows Alice. It all makes sense; it's her brother, Edward.

It hits me. He's not the intruder here. I'm only subletting this apartment to Alice. I'm the one living in _his_ apartment.

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><p><em><strong><span>AN: Edward naked in the shower...that's a good start, right?**_

_**Thanks to my beta theotherbella who's been helping me for a while, now. **_

_**Thank you to the readers who followed me here from my first story. I love you, your support means the world to me! **__**And welcome to the new ones!**_

_**I hope you'll have fun reading this!**_

_**Please review and tell me what you think :)**_


	2. Bad Day

**Chapter 2 – Bad day**

**BPOV**

My mind is assailed by dozens of questions that Edward's probably going to ask me, and that I need to find answers to, quickly. But my eyes keep darting to his torso and my brain seems to only care about deciphering his tattoo, still unclear in the semi-darkness of the room.

He's standing in front of me, wearing only his sweatpants, his hair still wet from the shower. He looks at me, a shocked and confused expression on his face, but doesn't say anything for a moment. The strange physical condition that rendered me speechless a few minutes ago finally abates, and I blurt out the first question that pops into my head.

"What are you doing here?" I ask in a high pitched voice, and even to my own ears I sound hysterical.

"This is my place! Who the fuck are you?" He yells back, a threatening expression on his face.

His rudeness brings my full focus back in a split second. This might officially be his place, but I've been living here for more than a year now; this is my apartment, too. I'm not going to let him treat me like I have no right to be here.

"I live here," I snap.

"What? No, my sister lives here. So who the fuck are you?" He asks again, raising his voice menacingly.

"Okay, I'm not going to talk to you if you're being rude," I counter harshly, any desire of jumping him vanishing completely. "I haven't done anything wrong, it wouldn't kill you to be polite."

He sighs and runs a hand through his damp hair, casting his eyes down. He seems to be thinking for a moment, and I wait for him to speak.

"Well," he says slightly lowering his voice, "I walk out of the shower and find a girl in my living room. I have no fucking idea who you are; I have every right to be upset."

"Well," I reply in the same tone, "I walk inside my apartment, and find a man showering in my bathroom. Yet, I'm not yelling and cursing at you," I add, rather relieved that he didn't see me watching him in the shower.

"Alright, this is insane. Where is Alice? Doesn't she live here anymore? And you still haven't told who the fuck you are," he starts raising his voice again. I can understand why he'd be surprised to find me here and not his sister; but there's no reason to be freaking out like that. He could just let me explain without yelling at me; he's being a jerk.

And truthfully, this is a question I shouldn't have to answer. Alice asked if I would sublet this place when she moved in with Jasper, and she never told her brother. She never even told him they were dating. Edward and Jasper apparently used to be friends years ago. But from what she told me, they stopped talking the moment Edward chose to marry some girl in Europe, and haven't seen each other for years.

I never asked for more details because it doesn't concern me, and I honestly don't care. But I don't want to put Alice in an uncomfortable position. I'd rather she talked and explained it to her brother herself.

"I'm Bella, Al's my best friend. And you haven't told me either who _the fuck_ you are," I throw back his turn of phrase at him, "I assume you must be Edward. And, no, Alice doesn't live here anymore. I'm subletting the place."

"At least you've heard of me," he comments dryly and pauses for a second. "So let me get this straight: my sister is subletting my apartment to a girl I don't know, and she lives somewhere else?"

"Yes."

"Fucking fabulous!" He yells again. "Here's the thing: I'm back, so I'm sorry but I'm moving back in my apartment," he says firmly while walking back to the guest room. "I'm calling Alice, right now."

I stay stunned in the living room. He's expecting me to move out. I don't have time to dwell on the thought as he starts speaking again; and I listen to his conversation from where I stand.

"Al, what the fuck is going on here?" He yells even louder. The guy either has a temper, or something else is upsetting him, because I still don't see a reason to be so mad. Or this is his natural jerkiness. "Who's this girl living at my place? …Yeah, yeah, she said that….I'm moving back…no I don't want to talk about it now, but I need my place, Al. And where the fuck do you live, by the way?"

There's a long pause and he finally comes back to the living room, his phone still at his ear. I watch him walk towards me and for some odd reason I find myself being a little frustrated that he put on a t-shirt.

"Ok, see you tomorrow," he says on the phone as he keeps his eyes on the floor, and hangs up.

He lifts his eyes to mine and takes a deep breath.

"So, Alice will come by tomorrow to explain everything," he says simply, clearly struggling to stay calm.

"Ok," I answer, and pause for a second. "Edward, what did you mean by 'I'm moving back'?" I ask worriedly. I know I'm not supposed to be living here, officially, but I can't believe he's going to make me move out immediately.

"What don't you understand? That's a pretty simple sentence," he almost sneers, and I want to slap him so fucking much my hand twitches.

"You're kicking me out of my apartment?" I ask skeptically; he can't possibly be serious.

"It's _my_ apartment. I own this place; so it seems pretty obvious to me that I'd want to live in it," he replies, not dropping his condescending tone.

"And what about me and the fact that I've been living here for the past year?" I snap back.

"Look, I honestly don't care where you're going to live," he answers coldly, running his hand in his hair nervously. He looks like he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and it can't possibly be because of me only. "This is my place, you're moving out. End of story."

I don't answer, throw him a death glare and storm past him to my bedroom, but he follows me. Just as I enter the room and turn around, I see him right behind me at the door, and slam it shut in his face before he can say anything. He bangs his hand on the door once, and I hear him walk away. I stand still until I hear the door of the guest room being shut in a loud thump.

I quickly undress and put on my pajamas, then head to bed. I can't even take a shower, and I know I won't sleep well now that I'm so upset. I rarely fight with anyone, but he was so rude. I don't understand his reaction, or why he wants me out of here so badly. He's the one who shouldn't be here, why he is even back? He didn't explain himself, and he just expects me to grab my bag and walk out of here without protesting.

I struggle to calm myself and finally fall asleep wishing I won't see him tomorrow morning; I don't need him to ruin my day like he just ruined my good night sleep.

I toss and turn in my bed; I'm so tense I can't sleep. At some point I look at my alarm clock, it's already 6am.

I've never felt so upset at someone in my whole life. He might have the hottest body I've ever seen, but he's the worst prick I've ever met.

I don't want to think about Edward and this situation for now; I was supposed to get up in half an hour, so I decide to get ready now. I grab some clothes and head to the bathroom, praying not to see him. I get ready and walk out the apartment without even drinking my coffee. The sooner I'm out, the better; I don't want to start my day with another fight. I might not be able to refrain from slapping him, and it won't help the issue of me being thrown out.

As soon as I'm in my car, I decide to call Alice to tell how much of a jerk her brother is. She answers almost immediately.

"Hi Bella," she answers cheerfully.

"Your brother's back," I spit, because there's absolutely nothing to be cheerful about, in this situation.

"Yes, I know that," she says apologetically.

"He's a complete jerk. He wants me to move out," I continue in the same tone of voice.

"Yes, I know," she concedes; and I'm not sure which part she's agreeing with. "I'll talk to him today, don't worry. Did he tell you what he was doing here?"

"He just said he was back, and kept repeating me that it was _his_ place."

"Well, that's kind of true," she replies sheepishly, but quickly continues before I can interject. "Was his French slut of a fiancée with him?"

"No, he was alone. Alice, talk to him, I can't move out right now, you know I don't have anywhere else to go," he add more calmly. Alice knows that aside from the principle that her brother can't ask me to move out the very night he decides to come back to Seattle; I really can't stay anywhere else.

"I know, I'll take care of it," she assures me before hanging up.

I quickly drive to work and park my car. I walk inside the building in a hurry; suddenly I can't wait to see Emmett and relay the crazy story. The truth is, I need someone to hate that guy as much as I do right now, and Emmett is the perfect candidate since Alice won't insult her own brother.

I walk to his office and as I'm about to knock, the door swings open and I end up knocking on the famous Jacob Black's chest. Luckily my eyes were open, because his chest is so hard that I could've easily thought I was actually knocking on the door. I stay frozen with embarrassment for a second, but he just laughs and offers me his hand to shake.

"Hi! You must be Bella," he says with a smile, and I'm almost blinded by the whiteness of his teeth.

I was so bored at the welcoming buffet last night that I didn't really look at him. Now that he's up close, he's actually a very handsome man; dark short hair and black eyes, tan skin. And from the hardness of his chest, I can only imagine the body he must have.

"Yes, nice to meet you Mr. Black," I reply kindly.

"Please, you can call me Jake. Have a nice day," he answers as he moves past me and walks back to his office, a file in hand.

"Thanks, you too," I almost yell back, as he turns around without stopping and smiles widely.

I walk inside the office and close the door behind me. Emmett is behind his desk, fully concentrated on the papers in front of him.

"He seems nice enough," I comment as I walk to him and slump down on one of the chair facing his desk.

"Yes, but don't be fooled, he's a lawyer," he replies jokingly and lifts his head to look at me. His face falls immediately, surprise flashing in his clear blue eyes. "Wow, you look like shit. What's up?"

Emmett knows me well, I could never hide anything from him, so he quickly became the one person I confessed everything to. Most people don't see him the way I do; he's very tall, has a huge muscular body, with dark hair, strong features and a deep masculine voice. He kind of looks like a bear, and often acts like one. We grew up in the same small town, in Forks; I was a lonely kid and for some reason he took care of me; to this day I still don't understand why. He quickly became like my big brother, and we've been a part of each other's life since.

"You're not going to believe this," I start ranting, "I got home last night, and Alice's big brother was a naked in my shower." The moment the words are out of my mouth, I know I didn't say this the way I should have. In fact, I chose the exact words I shouldn't have said.

"No shit? You're kidding, right?" He asks, a big smile on his lips and his eyes sparkling.

"No, I'm not," I answer simply, letting him take advantage of my mistake. There's no way of avoiding it, anyway.

"You got a good look at him? Is the big brother really big?"

"Emmett, please don't start," I sigh.

"Too late!" He exclaims, winking at me and lying back in his chair. "Did you get something else, too, apart from a look? Did you join him in the shower? Is that why you look so tired?" he continues, wriggling his eyebrows, and waits for me to reply.

"Emmett!"I yell. I would never accept that kind of comments from any other man, but with Emmett it's different, I know he's not being disrespectful, and I actually enjoy seeing him so cheerful. "That's it? You're finished?" I ask, faking annoyance.

"I don't know. Did you finish?" He asks and burst out laughing. I'm making this way too easy for him; and I can't help but laugh with him.

"Emmett, you seriously need to get laid. Your brain is suffering from the lack of sex."

"I work too much to get laid, you know that," he counters more seriously. And it's true, he could probably get any woman he wants, but he's working so much he never meets anyone outside of the office. He leans forward on his desk, resting on his forearms, all serious. "Ok, so tell me the whole story, Bells."

"There's not much to tell," I start, and I feel my anger rising again. "He's moving back here, so he's kicking me out of _his_ apartment."

"Just like that? That's rough. He's still giving you time to find another place to stay, right?" He inquires all business-like. And it feels good to have someone on my side who knows the law.

"I don't know. Alice is going to talk to him today, I'll see," I try not to sound too alarmed, but I can see he's worrying for me; maybe even more than me. I can't really worry just yet, I'm stuck at being pissed at the guy and wanting to slap his pretty face.

He looks away for a few seconds, clearly thinking and deliberating about something, and he starts speaking again.

"You know you could still sleep on my couch, if you really have nowhere else to go," he offers sweetly. "But with the rumors and all..."

"It's probably not a good idea. But thanks."

It's very nice of him to offer, but a lot of people in the office still think I got the job because I was sleeping with Emmett, if they knew I was staying at his place, I'd never see the end of it.

"What is he even doing here? Wasn't he supposed to get married in France or something?" He asks curiously. Emmett heard the same story I did, the story Alice and Jasper told us. But neither of us really knows much about Edward's life in Europe.

"I think so. I don't know."

"Well, the guy seems like a fucking jerk to me."

"Yeah, he is. Even Al seemed to agree," I laugh half-heartedly.

"You want to take the day off, to take care of it?" He offers sweetly.

"No, that's fine," I answer in a sigh. "I'll wait for Alice to call me back."

"Ok, then get your ass to work," he orders in a forced bossy tone, but winks at me.

I walk out of his office and sit at my desk. I try to focus on my work, but the truth is I'm not really efficient without my morning cup of coffee. Every time I try to concentrate on some paperwork in front of me, my mind keeps going back to Edward and his cold remark.

'_This is my place. You're moving out.'_

It's already lunch time and I haven't done anything productive the whole morning. And I start to worry that Alice hasn't called me back yet. I don't know how I'm supposed to go through my day serenely without knowing where I'm going to sleep tonight.

I take my purse and decide to go have lunch across the street; alone since Emmett is stuck at the courthouse.

I walk in the elevator and press the button. Just before the doors close, a tall beautiful blond girl runs inside, her slim body sliding elegantly between the closing doors. If I had tried something like that, I would have either knocked myself out on the doors, or fallen on my face inside the elevator. But she's there, perfectly safe. I'm amazed.

"Hi," she says flatly, not even bothering to look at me.

"Hi," I answer in the same tone.

We spend the travel in silence. I'm too preoccupied by my problems to force myself to be polite, even if she's a client.

The doors reopen and we walk out in the lobby. I hear Victoria, our receptionist, talk with another girl at the front desk. She's bent over the counter, her mini dress rising way too high, and her red curly hair making her head look twice its size. How she can think that hair looks good on her, on anyone is beyond me. She pretends to speak discreetly, her hand next to her mouth, but we can hear everything she says in the entire lobby.

"You should have seen her, that Rosalie," she seethes, "all cold and arrogant, as if she was the most beautiful girl in the world. I'm telling you, she's sleeping with Jacob, otherwise why would he bring her here? What a slut!" She exclaims in a devilish laugh, making her brunette friend giggle stupidly.

The blond next to me stops in her tracks and stares at them. I instinctively slow down, not even sure why, but I have a feeling I want to see what will happen next. The blond takes a deep loud breath and clears her throat, making Victoria and the giggling brunette turn their head in our direction.

I stop a few feet away, rather amused at Victoria's shocked expression, and I realize that the blond girl in the elevator with me was in fact Rosalie Hale, Black's assistant. I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I can't help watching the scene unfolding in front of me. And I secretly hope to see Victoria silenced in front of her friend. She deserves it.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt," Rosalie says with a sickly sweet smile. "I just heard my name; I thought maybe you had something you wanted to say to me."

When Vitoria doesn't answer, her mouth still open as she's trying to think of something to answer, Rosalie continues with a fake angelic voice.

"No? Alright, then please continue. And here's another thing you could talk about: how much more than you do you think I'm paid for… all my services?"

She turns on her heels and comes face to face with me. For a second I'm afraid she's going to make a snarky comment about my eavesdropping, but she just smiles at me and walks away. It takes me a second to move from my spot; I'm amazed by this girl, I never had the guts to confront Victoria, and she did on her first day here.

Victoria turns to her friend and flips her flashy red hair back.

"See? Told you she's a bitch!" I hear her say as I head for the exit.

I walk outside after Rosalie but she's already gone when I reach the sidewalk. I eat lunch alone and go back to work only half an hour later. Alice still hasn't called, but I manage to focus on what I have to do for a few hours. It's almost time to leave when I see Rosalie walk to my desk, her face expressionless; and at this moment I understand why people think she's arrogant.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale, Jake's assistant," she says simply.

"Hi, Bella Swan. Can I help you with something?" I reply a little too joyfully as I recall how awesome she's been in front of Victoria.

"Could you give this file back to Emmett, please," she asks, not as cheerfully, and I wonder if she's upset that I was listening earlier.

"Sure. And Rosalie, I'm sorry I was eavesdropping earlier in the lobby. I didn't mean to…"

"Don't apologize," she interrupts, a small smile forming on her lips. "You're actually the only person who smiled at me today."

"Really? I guess Victoria's rumors are still prolific in here," I joke.

"I guess you speak from experience. I overheard some girls saying 'first Bella, and now this girl', or some shit like that. And I guess you're not sleeping with Emmett either?"

"Wow, you're straight-forward. No, I'm not. We're friends."

"Well, I can't say that I'm friends with Jake. He's a douchebag. But I needed to move, it was the perfect opportunity," she explains flatly. She doesn't extend on the subject and I don't ask questions. We talk for another few minutes and she goes back to her desk.

Emmett is still in his office but I know I won't be able to work, I need to call Alice. I let Emmett know I'm leaving and head back to my car. I call her as soon as I'm inside, but she doesn't answer.

It's not like her at all, she usually have her cell phone at reach. I drive back home and quickly make my way to my apartment. A knot forms in my stomach at the thought of another fight with Edward, or the possibility that he'll want me to move out tonight.

I open the front door and walk to the living room. My worry instantly turns into a mix of surprise as I smell the most delicious odor coming from the kitchen; and anger as I notice that all the furniture in the living room has been rearranged.

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><p><em><strong>AN: So sory for the massive delay, I promise I'll update more often from now on... the next chapters are almost ready ;)**_

_**Thank you for reading, and to all of you who reviewed the 1st chapter! **_

_**A huge thanks, as usual, to my faithful beta theotherbella, she's amazing!**_

_**Please review and tell me what you think! :)**_


	3. The arrangement

**Chapter 3 – The arrangement**

**EPOV**

I can't fucking believe this. She slammed her door to my face. She's here, in my apartment, and I don't even know her. Who the fuck does she think she is?

I slowly walk back to the guest room; I'm not going to break down the door to get her to understand I'm not going to a hotel so she can live in my apartment.

Now I realize why the place looked so neat and not really girly at all. It's insane; I'm stuck in the guest room while some girl I've never heard of is sleeping in my bedroom. I was already exhausted from my trip, I was looking forward to being in bed and getting some rest, but she ruined it.

I slump down on the bed and try to calm down, but an hour pass and I can't fall asleep. I get up and walk to the kitchen. Maybe there's something decent to drink in this place. I pass by the bathroom; I didn't even remember I left the light on. I turn it off and stumble on something on the floor, a knife. That's probably the noise I heard when I was in the shower.

If she was going to attack me with it, she's definitely insane. I put it back in the kitchen and stop dead in my track when it hits me that the door was open when I got out of the shower; and she dropped the knife in front of the door. She saw me in the shower, naked.

She caught me in the worst moment possible; I was finally able to focus on my future, my new life and all the possibilities it could bring. After months of trying to deal with what happened, what Laurie put me through, only when I got here I could see myself without her.

Earlier in the shower was the first time I could picture myself with another girl. Before, every time I thought about sex, I kept seeing flashes of what she did, and it was so hurtful that I was never able to be excited. Three months without being able to get a boner, it was like fucking hell.

I'm finally relaxed enough to picture some girl in the shower with me, and it makes me fucking ecstatic; until she interrupts me and annoys the hell out of me. She ruined everything.

I rummage through the fridge and the cupboards; no alcohol. I definitely hate this girl. I walk back to bed and finally fall asleep after what seems like hours of tossing and turning.

I'm startled awake by the sound of the shower. I can't believe this, I didn't get any rest last night and she wakes me up at 6. is going to get ugly. I'll call Alice as soon as she's left, and have her move out of here.

I wait patiently in bed while she's getting ready; and only get out of my room when I hear her close the front door. I make some coffee and think of what to say to Alice. I need to calm down, I'm exhausted and I can't think straight. I know she doesn't deserve to be yelled at, she's not the person who upset me.

I drink my coffee and try to relax on the couch. I'm trying to prepare my questions, but I can't find my words. And the more I think about it, the more I find Alice at least partially responsible. She's supposed to be living here, so where is she? I finally dial her number, and she answers at the first ring.

"Hi Edward," she answers cheerfully.

"Alice, we really need to talk, when are you coming over?"

"Good morning to you too, brother!" She chastises lovingly.

"I'm sorry, Alice, but you have some explaining to do," I counter, trying as hard as I can to stay calm.

"You have some explaining to do, too, Edward. You come back without telling anyone. You just get in the apartment as you had always lived here. I haven't heard from you in months and you're yelling at me? Seriously?" She asks incredulously, her voice rising slightly, too.

"I'm sorry, Al. I was just so happy to be back home, to see you. And this girl was so…annoying," I explain guiltily.

"Just try to relax. I have to go to work, I'll come by in a few hours and we'll talk, ok?"

"Ok, fine. But you better be here before she comes back. And I'm serious; this is my place, I'm not leaving. She has to move out," I state firmly.

"Yeah, well, we'll talk about it," she replies in a rush before hanging up the phone. I stare at the phone, dumbfounded for a second. I can't believe her, telling me that we'll talk about it. There's nothing to talk about. She needs to go.

I spend my day waiting for Alice to come and give some kind of explanation about this situation, but the hours don't seem to pass. I don't want to unpack my bags in the guest room, since I don't intend on staying there again tonight. The thought of putting everything in the master bedroom, and throwing Bella's clothes on the hallway crosses my mind, but I'm not enough of a jackass to go through her stuff.

I go out to the grocery store to buy some booze and stuff to make myself some lunch. The fridge was empty, what does this girl even eat? I get back home and make myself a sandwich. I quickly eat it and start pacing in the apartment. The wait is unbearable, I need to do something.

An idea suddenly crosses my mind. I can't move Bella's stuff, but I need to take my apartment back, in some way, so the living room furniture will do just find. I walk in the room and start pushing and moving the couch, the TV, everything. There isn't one item left at its original place. It took me some time to reorganize everything; Alice is already knocking on the door as I admire what I've just done with the room. Who would have thought I'd be so gifted for home decoration.

I get the door open and she jumps into my arms. I hold her close to me for a long minute, none of us talking, until she pulls back and looks at me. She seems upset, and it's rather unusual for her.

"I'm mad at you," she declares straight away.

"I'm mad at you, too. What's going on here? I know I haven't been here in a while, but still."

We walk back to the living room and both sit at either end of the couch, facing each other.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" She finally asks gently.

"I don't want to talk about it, Al. Not now, please," I beg. The separation is still too fresh in my mind, I'm not ready to explain anything without it affecting me. And I don't want Alice to see her big brother so hurt. Male pride, I guess. She just smiles tenderly and nods.

"But are you back? For real?"

"Yes, I am. I'm never going back there," I state confidently.

"Ok, Edward. But at some point you'll have to tell me the whole story. You know that, right?" She asks, raising her eyebrow, almost in challenge. I know she won't leave me alone until she knows every tiny detail, and I already shudder at the thought.

"I know," I simply answer. "But I just want to relax, breathe for a while, you know. And I can't do that if I can't even come home without some girl slamming her door in my face," I continue, getting back to the important topic.

"She did that?" She exclaims, visibly impressed; and it annoys me even more.

"Yes. Alice, why aren't you living here? Where do you live?"

"Somewhere else. I don't want to talk about it, now," she answers teasingly, clearly mocking me.

"Seriously, you're going to play it like that?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes! What we need to talk about right now is your cohabitation with Bella."

"My what?" I almost jump from the couch. "No fucking way. This is my place, she moves out."

"Edward, she's been living there for a year and a half, you can't ask her to leave tonight."

"Why can't she stay with you?"

"Because, she shouldn't have to. Edward, I understand that you must be going through tough stuff right now; but she's living here. You can't just come back and throw her out. The least you can do is give her time to find another place. Come on, you know I'm right," she dares me to contradict her. Honestly, I can't. Aside from the fact that she's my sister's best friend, and Alice would be really mad at me for throwing her out; she's right, I wouldn't be fair to demand that she leaves tonight. She shouldn't have to pay for the shittiness of my life, even though she does nothing to compensate for her presence here.

"Alright, alright," I concede, without showing Alice I think she's right. "I'm not a total jackass; I'm not throwing her out tonight. I guess she can stay here for a few weeks."

"She might need more than that."

"Don't push it. I really need my space right now, Al. I can't live with someone. Especially not a girl."

"Fine, fine," she eventually agrees. "Just try to be nice, ok?"

"I can't promise anything," I joke, but deep down I really question my ability to stay calm and serene with this girl living with me.

We talk for a while about our parents, the people we know, both avoiding anything too personal. We laugh a lot and it feels good to be with her. I realize how much I've missed her while I was gone, and I can't wait for her to be a prominent part of my everyday life again.

She leaves a couple of hours later and I slouch back on the couch, thinking about this whole situation and the compromises I just promised Alice I'd make. I just accepted to live with this Bella girl for several weeks. I can do my best to avoid her as much as possible, thus making not fighting with her way easier. Honestly, I'm tired of all the drama in my life, I've had enough these past few months. I just want things to be quiet in my home. And if she has to be there for a while, I have to find a way not to fight with her constantly. It's going to be a challenge, but I have to try.

To be honest, Alice is right. I'm coming back here without warning; I can't expect her to be thrilled to be thrown out on the streets. I need to make the first step if I want things to go rather smoothly while she's here. And let's face it, if I'm being a jerk to her, she could easily make my life miserable, too. I'd have to actually kick her out, and Alice would probably never forgive me. Not an option. I'll just have to suck it up for a while, and hope that she'll be gone soon.

I still have a few hours before Bella comes back from work, according to Alice, and I don't want to spend the rest of the afternoon mulling over this crazy situation. I go out for a run, and for a while it clears my mind. I only concentrate on my breathing, and I manage to spend more than an hour not thinking about anything else. I come back to my place all sweaty and head straight to the shower.

As soon as I'm under the hot spray, I'm reminded of last night and the small victory I had. It felt so good to feel like a man again. I was starting to consider seeing a doctor, who would probably prescribe me some pills like an old flaccid man. But I'm young and healthy; I shouldn't need medication to get my dick hard. All I needed is to get away from Laurie, from where it happened; and it worked.

Now I'm so upset about this whole situation that I don't even bother trying again. I just stand under the hot water and relax. As much as I'd like to rid my head of everything, my mind keeps going back to last night, and I remember what occurred to me earlier. Bella saw me in the shower, naked. She was standing in the hallway and peeked through the door to look at me. She probably only looked for a second. Maybe she didn't see anything; or maybe it lasted more than a second.

I can't get that thought out of my head and I unexpectedly feel my dick twitching. I know this is wrong, I'm supposed to live with this girl, now, I can't let myself fantasize about her. However, the feel of my manhood resurfacing after months of flaccidity is too enjoyable to restrain it. My instincts are stronger than my will, and I keep picturing Bella watching me through the barely open door. Maybe she did see everything, even my erection, and it makes my cock grow harder.

A tiny voice in my head is trying to convince me that I should stop, that it probably makes me a perv; but I can't stop, I don't want to. I grab my length and start stroking it with a vision of this girl I barely know looking at my body. I see her with those high heels she was wearing, and that tight dress. I imagine her walking to me and getting in the shower with me.

I pump harder a few times and I come on the shower wall. I take deep breath to calm myself, divided between the exhilaration of being cured, and the guilt of using the figure of this girl to pleasure myself. I shake the feeling out of my head. It was a onetime thing, and she's the one who looked in the first place.

I walk out of the shower, get dressed and go lie down on the couch. Bella will be home soon, and I'll have to explain to her tonight that she has only a few weeks to find another place to stay. From I saw last night, she won't accept it easily.

I decide to make dinner in a vain attempt to get on her good side and agree to it peacefully. I didn't get enough groceries to make a complicated dish; I end up preparing some pasta, with diced chicken breast and vegetables.

Less than an hour later, the dish is slowly simmering, and she supposed to be here any minute. I feel oddly nervous to be in front of her after what happened in the shower earlier. I wonder if it'll change my perception of her. I don't have time to dwell on my musings as I hear the door open and hear her footsteps walking in the living room.

"Bella?" I call out to her, trying my best to sound nice and inviting. "I'm in the kitchen, I cooked-" I start but she cuts me off, as she appears in the doorway, livid.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You couldn't even wait until I got back to move YOUR furniture? I assume you also threw my clothes out of YOUR room? You're a fucking jerk!" She yells at me before I can say anything. In a split second I got the answer to what I was wondering before she arrived: it doesn't change anything. Despite my little session in the shower, she's still the annoying girl I want out of my apartment as soon as possible. Only now I promised Alice I would give her a few weeks, and it's going to be harder than I thought.

She stops just a second, looking at me as I struggle not to appear too irritated. She eventually notices the food on the stove behind me, and obviously realizes I'd been cooking. I startle her back to reality when I speak.

"Bella, I'm trying really hard not to be a jerk, actually. I'd appreciate if you'd help me a little bit!" I joke half-heartedly.

"What is that supposed to mean? How is any of this my fault?" She asks, clearly offended, and I think I could say the nicest words possible, coming from me she'd still find them offensive. It angers me that she's so prejudiced.

She just sighs loudly and puts her hands on her hips. She looks so stern; she's wearing a tight black skirt with a white blouse, high heels and her hair lifted in a ponytail. She's like the living cliché of the sexy secretary. She's looking at me exasperatedly, but a can see a hint of worry in her brown eyes. It dawns on me that she still doesn't know she has some time ahead of her to find a new place, and she probably believes she'll have to move out sooner than that.

"I talked to Alice," I start nicely.

"Ok. So what do we do about the situation?" she answers rather harshly, and I believe it might be a defense mechanism for her. Or she's just naturally bitchy.

"I'm not leaving; this is my apartment," I state cautiously.

"I understand that, but I live here. Even if I start looking for a place, I can't move out tomorrow, you realize that, don't you?" she inquires more evenly.

"Of course. You can stay for a few weeks until you find something." I offer tentatively.

"A few weeks? Of living with you?" She asks dubiously, and again, her reaction to me is more than unfair.

"I'm not thrilled about the idea, either," I snap back.

"Can't you go to your parents until I move out?"

"No, I can't deal with them right now," I explain in a rush. My eyes never leave hers, and this is turning into a stare contest, none of us willing to give up first.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"No, you don't. And I'd like the master bedroom back," I add cockily. I know I shouldn't have said it like that, but the words were out of my mouth too fast. She's playing the victim here when there's no reason to, and it exasperates the shit out of me. She needs to be put back in her place.

She drops her eyes to the floor, sighs and walks back to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. I follow her, even more pissed than last night. I can't stand her turning her back to me like that. Plus, I don't understand why she's so upset. I'm giving her time to move out, all I ask in return is to live in my own apartment. It is my place after all, and I have every right to ask her to move out. As long as I'm not kicking her out and giving her time to find another place to live; I'm not a bad guy here. She has to stop being an annoying little girl and understand that.

I start banging loudly on her door until she opens it.

"What?" She spits as the door opens.

"Are you going to do that every time?" I almost yell at her.

She grabs the door and tries to slam it in my face again, but I stop it midway with my hand.

"Don't ever do that again. Do you really think I'm the one being a jerk here? I never said you had to do it right away, but if you want to have it this way, move your stuff out of my room. Now."

"Ugh, fucking jerk!"

I walk back to the kitchen, pretending I didn't hear her comment. I sit down for a while, trying to calm down. I hear her ruffle through her stuff, groaning and mumbling incomprehensively. At this moment I feel a little guilty that I asked her to move her stuff right away. I just can't stand her demeanor.

I take the pan off the stove before the food burns, and walk out of the kitchen. I stop at the end of the hallway and watch her go back and forth from the two bedrooms, her arms filled with clothes. For a second I want to help her, but I know she'll just snap at me again, so I just go and relax in the couch.

Almost an hour later, I can't hear anything coming from her room anymore. Just as I get up from the couch, she screams from the end of the hallway.

"I'm done. I moved all my stuff to the guest room," she shouts in a mock cheerful voice.

"Good," I reply in the same tone. She has the ability to upset me with only one sentence, when I was calm. She really needs to adjust that behavior of hers.

"I also made room for your stuff in the bathroom," she continues, and I can discern a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Thanks," I answer earnestly, because the somewhat nicest thing she has said to me since we met deserved to be noted.

She isn't moving from her bedroom; this isn't going to work for several weeks if she won't even speak to me in the same room. Since this is my apartment and she's the one who has to move out, I'm going to make the first step. I walk to her new bedroom and lean on the door frame. She's sprawled on her bed, looking at the ceiling, and she changed out of her clothes. She's wearing loose-fitting jeans and a t-shirt, her long brown hair sprawled around her in the comforter. She lifts her head to look at me; in this outfit she doesn't look so uptight. But the severe expression comes back immediately when she sees me.

"What?"

"Are you hungry?" I say purposefully softly, so that maybe she'll stop being so aggressive.

"No," she replies, not even noticing my efforts, and I lose my temper once again.

"Goddamn it! Can't you at least try?" I yell. And she jumps on the bed, stunned by my unexpected outburst.

"Ok, fine. Yes, I'm hungry," she concedes dejectedly.

"Then come and grab a plate, I made enough for two," I offer as I walk back to the kitchen.

"You did?" She asks incredulously as she exits her room and follows me in the hallway.

"Yes. I'm not a total jerk," I answer simply. I expect her to make a snappy comment, or contradict me; but she doesn't say anything.

She follows me into the kitchen in silence and I notice her licking her lips as I fill our plates with the pasta. Her face relaxes a little, and she turns to me with the nicest look I got out of her so far.

"As nice as you might be, you're still the jerk kicking me out of my home," she confesses between two bites, as if being nice to me would mean she lost or something.

"Alright," I concede, because I don't really care what she thinks as long as she doesn't bother me. But since she's a little too petulant, I can't help but throw her back the same comment. "And as nice as I might force myself to be with you, you're still the annoying girl I want out of here as soon as possible. Can we at least not fight every day?"

"Deal."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So, do you think they'll manage to be civil with each other for a few weeks? **_

_**Thanks you so much for reading and for your kind reviews, I love hearing from you! **_

_**I'm also on twitter Ddreamingfairy...if you ask I'll give you teasers!**_

_**Huge thanks, a**__**s usual, to my beta theotherbella who's so amazing, it's hard to find new ways to explain it every chapter!**_

_**For those of you who followed me from **_**My Blood, My Conscience and Your Soul**_**, I want to reasure you that I'm not going to make you wait as long for every update (I still feel really guilty about that...). I'm currantly working on chapter6, so I'll update at least once a week!**_

_**I hope you liked this chapter. If you did, send me some love!**_

_**And if you didn't...well don't send me hate, but you can still tell me why ;)**_


	4. Night out

**Chapter 4 – Night out**

**BPOV**

"Bella, can you come in here for a sec?" Emmett calls through the intercom. He's been buried under work for the past few days and we didn't really have much time to talk since I told him about Edward. He would have made himself available if I had asked him to, but the truth is there wasn't much to talk about anyway, so there was no need to distract him.

I walk to his office and close the door behind me.

"Yes?" I ask all business-like, assuming this meeting is work related. But he slouches back in his chair, stretches his big arms above his head and gives me his most blinding grin.

"What's up, Bells? Are you ok these days?" He asks with concern, and I can tell he feels guilty that he's been so busy that he didn't have time for me.

"Yes," I answer as I sit down in front of him, smiling to reassure him. "I'm ok. Things are not as bad as I thought they'd be, I guess."

"And the cohabitation with Edward; how's that going?" He asks with a grimace.

"Fine, we force ourselves to be civil. It's better that fighting every time we see each other," I try to explain casually, but I sound miserable and defeated.

"Fuck, you're so depressing right now!" He almost shouts, making me jump in surprise, as if he had just waked me up.

"What? No, I'm not," I reply unconvincingly. I have to admit that this whole situation is really troubling me. Finding a good place to live isn't that easy, and I have to make it happen as quickly as possible.

"You seriously need to have some fun, Bella," he sighs, "and stop thinking about this apartment shit for one night. Call Alice, have a girl's night out or whatever. It's an order," he says in a stern voice.

He's right, I need to change my mind and go out. I can't keep moping around in my room; and I actually miss Alice. Plus, I won't find an apartment on a Friday night, so why not.

"Ok, I agree. But you have to do it, too," I challenge him. He used to party a lot when we were in College, but now he's only working all the time.

"I have too much work, I know that," he answers, as I expected.

"Bullshit! You need to go out even more than me," I counter in the same stern tone. "And you seriously need to get laid," I add jokingly.

"Look who's talking. When was the last time you got some?" He raises an eyebrow at me, tapping his pen on the desk.

"About five weeks ago," I reply matter-of-factly, and his face instantly distorts in evident disgust.

"Ugh, with that Mike dude? I'm just going to keep pretending it never happened. I'm really disappointed in you, Bella," he continues in mock reprimand, and it makes me laugh.

"You're right, let's keep pretending it didn't happen," I agree shamefacedly, because I still don't know what reason made me think it was a good idea to go home with that guy. "But seriously, you go out, I go out."

"Alright, I'll call Jasper," he agrees, suddenly rejoicing at that thought.

I head back to my desk and grab my phone to see if Alice is available tonight. I actually look forward to spend the evening with her. We were supposed to see each other a few days ago for a movie night, but with everything that's happened, we couldn't. It'll also be nice not to spend the night locked in my room, avoiding Edward. Even though these last few days have been more peaceful, it's essentially because we almost didn't see each other.

I text her and she replies immediately that she's in, as usual.

I bury myself in work, trying to do as much as I can in order to leave early. I'm really excited by my evening with Alice, I've really missed her this past week, and I can't wait to spend some time with her. Even though Edward's her brother, and she is in the middle of this situation as well, I really need to think about something else, and I know she won't press me on the matter tonight. She's probably as excited as I am about our night out together.

I also want to come home and get ready without having to see Edward. I don't know exactly what he's doing every day; he probably doesn't have a job. I only know he's not around much during the day and he comes back quite late in the afternoon. Coming home early makes it sure that he won't be there.

At 1pm, I grab my bag and head out to lunch. There'll probably be a lot of drinking tonight, it's not the day to skip lunch, I need to make sure my stomach is full, and I'm not sure I'll have time to eat dinner before we head out.

I decide to go to a little restaurant down the block, and as I'm about to cross the street, I spot Rosalie looking around, clearly searching for something. I take a few steps back and wave at her as I almost reach her.

"Hi Rosalie. Are you looking for something?" I ask casually.

"Hi, Bella. Yes, kind of," she answers flatly, still looking around. "Is there a good place to eat around here?" She asks, finally turning her icy blue gaze to me. "I've been eating a sandwich alone at my desk every day since I got here. I just can't take it anymore."

"I was heading to lunch. Do you want to join me?" I ask impulsively; and I surprise both her and me, as it's a very uncharacteristic gesture for me.

"Sure, why not?"

We walk in silence until we're sitting in the terrace of the restaurant. She eyes me carefully and lets out a long sigh.

"Thank you for offering me to join you. You didn't really have to, I appreciate it," she offers earnestly.

"You still have a hard time making friends, here, don't you?"

"Yes. I don't consider work as a place where you make real friends, but people here aren't even civil. It's insane," she comments, shaking her head slightly.

"Tell me about it", I agree immediately. "There're a few people you can count on, once they get to know you. But the rumors are quite persistent sometimes."

I know exactly the reason why nobody at work is talking to her. It's the same reason they wouldn't talk to me at first. Some of them still don't.

"Do you have any friends, here?" She asks skeptically, as if it seemed impossible to find nice people in our office. The truth is, it's difficult to contradict her.

"Not really. Angela was a nice girl, but she's on maternity leave, so…" I trail off, realizing it must sound hopeless to her, and I smile at her sheepishly.

"Anyway," she sighs, "this is a nice place," she adds, gesturing toward the other tables on the terrace.

"Yes. They serve the biggest Caesar salad you'll ever see in your life."

"Ok, so Caesar salad it is."

Right on cue, the waitress arrives to take our order, and brings us our plates shortly after. We stay in an awkward silence for a while; I'm not really sure how to talk to this girl, or what I should say. I don't normally talk about my life anyway, but she has this strong charisma that makes it even more difficult to make even small talk.

"So, how do you like Seattle, so far?" I try to fill the silence the best way I can, with the most cheerful voice I can manage.

"Bella…," she lets a long exasperated sigh, "let's cut the crap, I'm too tired for this."

"Ok…" I concede hesitantly, putting my fork down as I wait for her to speak her mind.

"Every single girl at the office is a bitch," she starts in a tone that somehow sounds strong and casual at the same time. "Except you maybe, but I don't really know for sure. I mean I don't know you. Jacob is even more an ass than he was in San Francisco. I don't know anyone or anything here, so I spend every night alone in my hotel room. Fucking depressing."

"Ok," I ponder for a minute. I don't know why, but I know I like this girl. It may be the fact that she almost insulted me without being apologetic about it; I appreciate that she's so forward. It's just refreshing to have someone be honest, instead of trying to sound interesting.

Yeah, I like her. And as a result I find myself doing something I rarely do, if ever.

"I've had a shitty week, I'm getting kicked out of my place, so tonight I'm going out with my best friend and I intend to get drunk. Do you want to come with us?" I say in a strong voice, looking at her straight in the eye. It's her turn to ponder what I said, and before she opens her mouth I already see the smile creeping on her lips.

"I like you," she states formally. "And it doesn't happen to me very often, so you should feel honored."

"Wow, the awesome Rosalie Hale likes me. I _am_ truly honored." I reply mockingly, and we both laugh.

"Ok, so tell me about it. What's that shit about you getting kicked out of your apartment?" She inquires, and just like that, the conversation with her starts feeling naturally easy.

"Well, long story short, I'm subletting it. The owner, who's my best friend Alice's brother, just got back from Paris and wants his place back. So I'm out. He gave me a few weeks to find something else, but it still sucks."

"Shitty week, indeed…." She trails off, and she seems like she's deliberating on something. I look at her questioningly, silently pressing her to voice what's in her head.

"I'm going to act on impulse, here – and you better not disappoint me – but do you want to come and live with me?"

"What? Are you serious? You just said you weren't sure I wasn't a bitch," I reply.

"Well, yes. But I might have changed my mind in the last ten minutes," she counters playfully.

"You also said you stayed in a hotel," I say, and it sounds like a question.

"I have the keys to my apartment in two weeks."

"Seriously?" I ask thoughtfully, trying to consider whether she's offering for real or not; and if she is, whether it would be a good idea to accept.

"Ok, let's just say that we have two weeks to think about this. I might be emotional right now, because of your invite to tonight's drunken debauchery, so no promises. If you find something else, perfect. If you don't and I still like you in two weeks, you can come with me. And I reserve the right to kick you out, too, if you annoy me," she explains her idea as if it was the most simple and logic solution to my problem. And maybe it is. She's staring at me, daring me to say no to her; I imagine it doesn't happen a lot. In any case, I don't have any better solution, and truthfully, I think I really like this one.

"Deal," I declare solemnly and hold my hand for her to shake.

We continue our lunch talking and laughing. I really enjoy talking to her, and I already know Alice will fall in love with her instantly. We eventually make it back to the office, and we both instinctively stop talking as soon as we enter the building. We exit the elevator and she discreetly winks at me before we both walk back to our respective desk.

Apparently it wasn't as discreet as I thought, because Emmett catches it as he walks out of his office.

"What was that about?" He asks curiously.

"We just had lunch together. She's nice. And she might actually save me from my misery," I simply say as a way of explanation.

"I don't understand what you're talking about, Bells, and I don't have time right now. But you'll have to explain everything," he says, clearly confused, not even stopping in front of me to speak.

"I promise."

"Ok, see you," he yells back, not turning around in his haste. He walks quickly to the elevator, and I get back to my work.

I can't help but smile at the idea that I've probably found a solution to my problem, even though I try not to put too much hope in this. Many things can happen in two weeks; just a week ago I never would've thought that I'd have that problem in the first place.

I leave work early; I know Rosalie is going to do the same. We agreed that we'd both go back to our places, and I'd pick her up later with Alice.

Edward is nowhere in sight when I get home. I get ready pretty quickly; skinny black jeans, loose-fitting white top, slightly see-through. I release my hair from the bun I had all day and let the curls fall around my shoulders. I adjust my makeup and wait for Alice to pick me up. She arrives shortly after, and as soon as we have Rosalie in the car, we head to one of the most praised clubs in town.

Alice was really thrilled to hear that Rosalie was coming with us. I didn't tell her right away about her offer to move in together, because I don't want to talk about Edward right now. But I know I'll have to tell her at some point during the night.

Alice keeps asking random questions to Rosalie, ridiculous little things that don't actually matter; but it makes the conversation really easy, and she's instantly comfortable with us. As I thought, they hit it off immediately. Rosalie answers almost every question with a snarky or sarcastic comment, making us laugh. It doesn't take Alice more than thirty minutes with her to yell "I love this girl", as if she'd just had the biggest revelation of her life.

We sit at a table, drink and dance, and drink some more. We make a big show on the dance floor, swaying our bodies sensually; and frankly, we're three pretty hot girls. Lousy guys come talk to us and we reject them shamelessly; and I'm having fun.

As we sit back at the table with our third beer in hand, Rosalie puts her arm around my shoulders, looking at Alice.

"So, did you tell her the big news?" She asks excitedly.

"What big news?" Alice sits up straight in her chair, her eyes wide open in anticipation.

"We're moving in together," Rosalie announces cheerfully. If someone had told me three days ago that this girl could be as cheerful as Alice, I would've never believed them.

"What? What about me?" Alice whines like a baby for being left out as we burst out laughing at her pouting expression. After the few minutes we need to calm down, I explain to her the deal we made.

"Well, that's perfect. I just knew everything would turn out fine," she exclaims as if she was expecting it, and turns to Rosalie's bemused expression. "Call it a sixth sense, but sometimes I think I can see the future."

"You clearly didn't see your brother coming back," I counter playfully. Her idea that she could be psychic is the most ridiculous thing she's ever come up with. I don't think she truly believes it, though; but people rarely dare to contradict her, so she keeps playing.

"Deep down I think I knew…," she answers, feigning to be lost in her thoughts, before getting her focus back to me. "How is it going with him anyway? I haven't heard from any of you for days. I thought you might have killed each other."

"We practically never see each other, so it's fine," I explain unexpectedly calmly, but I feel the annoyance building up again. "But I don't feel like home anymore, I can't hang out in the living room, watch TV. I don't want to run into him and start fighting again, so I mostly stay in my room. I'm getting claustrophobic," I add jokingly, although it is kind of true.

There are so many aspects of this situation that I have a hard time dealing with. Edward being a jerk to me, for one; looking for another place isn't an easy thing to do; and feeling like an intruder in my own home is definitely as bad as the rest. It brings back awful memories of my youth, and I had hoped that I would never have to go through that again.

Alice looks at me sweetly and puts her hand on mine affectionately.

"I know you can't see it, in your position," she starts, "but Edward's a really decent guy. I don't know what happen in Paris that made him come back, but I'm glad he did because that girl was a fucking whore. I've always hated her, he deserves better than her. He really is great," she pleads.

"I know you're probably right. But whatever happened to him, he decided to take out on me and I don't appreciate it. It's not fair," I reply, not willing to let myself be the bad guy in this situation. I expect Alice to respond, but before she can open her mouth, Rosalie speaks.

"Listen, I don't want to play the devil's advocate, here, Bella," she starts in a firm yet slightly slurred voice. "Edward apparently went through some shitty stuff with a woman he was willing to spend the rest of his life with. He comes back here, someone he doesn't know lives in his apartment and nobody told him. His sister has a life that he knows nothing about, down to where she lives. Put yourself in his shoes, and cut the guy some slack."

"He's really mad at me, you know, I can tell," Alice adds before I can answer. "But he needs someone to be on his side, so he won't fight with me. Unfortunately, he can fight with you."

"Ugh, you're right. How can you be so wise when you're drunk? We were supposed to bitch about him. I should've gone out with Emmett!" I complain playfully. I understand what they mean, and they have a valid point. "I know Edward has every right to want to live in his own apartment. It's just really hard to feel unwelcomed. It's hard having to go through that again."

Alice smiles at me sweetly, and Rosalie turns to me with questioning look. But I don't explain further, I don't want dwell on that tonight; so she doesn't pry.

"What does he look like?" Rosalie asks suddenly, out of nowhere.

"I don't know, he's…" I trail off, trying to find the most suitable adjective to describe Edward.

"Really hot!" Alice interjects. "I know he's my brother and all; but seriously, he's hot."

They both look at me and Rose raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to agree with Alice. A memory of him in the shower flashes in my mind. I haven't thought about it since the first day, and the image of him naked under the water spray is now fogging my brain. I feel myself blushing, and unfortunately they notice it.

"Apparently he _is_ hot," Rosalie exclaims excitedly, clapping her hands; and I don't know whether this is her normal behavior or only the consequences of her drunken state.

"Maybe," I admit, "but he's still mostly a jerk. To me, at least."

Thankfully she doesn't press more on the subject. I'm surprised that Alice doesn't seem to notice I just admitted I might be attracted to her brother. She usually thrives on this sort of information. I'm positive in her case it's because of the alcohol.

There's no need to talk about Jasper, since Alice already told her how sexy, sweet and perfect he was when we were in the car. But we still don't know about Rosalie's love life, and for Alice it's unacceptable.

"What about you? Any hot guy in your life?"

"No hot male for me," Rose answers contentedly. "I actually ran from San Francisco because of a guy who happened to be married and thought it wasn't relevant to mention it. I'm happy to be single for now."

"Well, Jasper has a lot of friends – hot, sexy male friends – for when you're ready," she offers with a wink.

"I'll need to get laid way before that happens," she retorts rather loudly, just as a man walks past our table. He stops dead in his tracks, turns to her and smiles at her cockily.

"Not with you," she snorts. "Keep walking, dude. Not gonna happen!" And we all burst out laughing again.

We continue to talk, and head back to the dance floor for a while. We talk some more and drink even more. At the end of the night none of us is sober enough to drive the car. Alice calls Jasper, asking him to pick us up.

We wait on the sidewalk, welcoming the fresh air, and he arrives shortly after, with Emmett following him in his car. I completely forgot that they were supposed to spend the evening together, and it didn't occur to me that he would be there, too. Rosalie seems even more surprised, maybe even alarmed. She grabs my arm and screeches in my ear.

"Emmett's here. Did you know he was going to be here?"

"No, I didn't," I answer apologetically, although I don't see why this is such a big deal. She's probably worried about her image in front of Emmett, because of work. Although she knows we're friends.

"Hi, girls," they both say, getting out of their car at the same time.

"Hey, Jasper," I answer while Alice throws her arms around his neck, almost hitting him in the face.

"Ok, let's put everyone to bed," Emmett chuckles.

"Hi, Emmett," Alice chimes, turning around to face him.

"Hi, Alice," he sings back, and then looks in the direction of Rose and me. "Rosalie, you look…"

"Drunk? Yeah, big time," she slurs and smiles widely at him, slapping him on the shoulder. He exchanges a dumbfounded look with Jasper and they both laugh quietly.

"Ok…," he sighs. "So here's the plan. Jasper gets Alice home. I take the two of you girls."

"You wish!" Rosalie snaps, walking past him to get in the car. I hear Jasper laugh before he closes his car door, and I get in the back of Emmett's car with Rosalie.

The movement of the car makes me feel nauseous. Even with the window open, I really start to feel the effect of all the alcohol I ingested tonight. My head is spinning, and I try not to throw up the entire ride home.

Since it was on the way, Emmett drops me off first. He stops in front of my building, opens the car door for me, and asks Rosalie to follow us. Apparently he doesn't want to leave her alone in the car. I'm not sure whether he's afraid she might pass out or throw up in his brand new black Hummer. Before I can comprehend, we're in front of my door. Emmett doesn't even wait for me to find my keys, he probably knows I'll never find them, and knocks on the door. A few seconds later, Edward swings the door open and looks at us with wide eyes. It takes me a second to realize that Edward is wearing only a pair of jeans, and I'm so focused on the tattoo on his bare chest than I don't pay attention to what he and Emmett are saying to each other.

At some point, Emmett pushes me inside and the door closes behind me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So, drunk Bella and shirtless Edward...what do you thank is going to happen? ;)**_

_**Thanks to my beta theotherbella, and to all of you for all the reviews! Keep telling me what you think, I love it!**_


	5. Drunken disclosures

**Chapter 5 – Drunken disclosures**

**EPOV**

I'm ecstatic. Things are finally falling into place and today I had the best news in ages.

I've spent the last three months looking for a job in the US, since I decided to move back here. I never thought I'd find one so rapidly. I considered going to New York at first, thinking I'd have more chances. But it turns out the best opportunity I found in investment banking was in Seattle. It must be what people call fate. After numerous phone conversations, and almost two entire days of interviews with various Human Resources officers and senior managers, they offered me the job. I'm starting on Monday.

Not only am I glad to get my life back on track so quickly, but it also gives me the opportunity not to stay home and mull over this whole situation. I can't take my mind off Bella living in my apartment for an undetermined period of time, except when I focus on work.

I've been dreading to see her for the past two days, knowing very well that if we talked, we'd probably fight. She's been kind enough to stay in her room and let me enjoy my space. I have to admit though that I feel a little guilty, because I know she must feel unwelcome. Although, I've done my best to be nice to her; I cooked her dinner the first night. If she was more present in the apartment, hanging out in the living room and watching TV, I wouldn't blame her; at the condition that she wouldn't be reproachful and bitter. From what I saw, I'm not sure that she could manage to be courteous. That's why I'm not forcing myself to be more civil with her. If she wants to keep to herself, I'll do the same.

I've been home for almost two hours, and I realize that she must be spending the evening out, otherwise she'd probably be here already. My suspicions are confirmed when I get a text from Alice saying _"Bella and I are going out tonight. Enjoy your peace ;)"_. This day couldn't get any better.

I decide to stay in, not that I had anything else planned anyway; but now I'm really looking forward to spending the night in my home, alone, for once. As I get out of the shower, I put on some jeans and make myself a snack before turning on the TV. I flip through the channels and watch all the dumb TV shows that you can't watch in France. Even if they're not of a very good quality, for some odd reason it feels comforting.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I'm startled awake by a loud bang on the door. I look at the clock and it's already 1:30 in the morning. Anger is building up instantly inside me. I bet Bella forgot her keys and had no qualms waking me up in the middle of the night. I should've known I could count on her to ruin my perfectly good day.

I get up from the couch, walk to the door and swing it open exasperatedly. I stay dumbfounded for a moment as I take in the sight in front of me. Bella is there, predictably, but she's barely able to stand up by herself. So is the blond girl behind her, leaning on a huge dark-haired man. He's the only one who seems sober.

"Hi, I'm Emmett, you must be Edward," he says, and it's not a question. I guess I must have been the topic of some discussion. "The girls were drunk, so I'm the chauffeur," he continues, not waiting for me to respond.

"Where's Alice?" I inquire, suddenly worried that my little sister is in the same condition. More so when I don't even know where she's sleeping.

"Already home," he simply answers, not giving any more information on where this home might be. "And now I'll drive Rosalie."

I look at the blond girl who must be Rosalie, and she doesn't even seem to realize where she is. She's a mess. Then my eyes fall on Bella, and I have to admit she looks pretty stunning in tight black pants and heels, her hair lose around her shoulders. And I can see her bra through her top. That's when it hits me that I never put on a t-shirt. She's staring at my bare chest shamelessly, obviously ogling me, with a small smile lifting the corner of her lips. To be totally honest, I kind of like that. It must be pride, I guess. It's always nice to know people find you attractive. Maybe even more so when they make such big efforts to hate you.

"Can you take it from here?" Emmett asks, bringing me back from my reverie.

"Yeah, sure," I mumble, and he pushes her gently through the door. We don't say another word as he turns around with the blonde holding on to his arm; and I close the door once Bella's inside.

I feel uncomfortable; I don't know what to do with her, whether I'm supposed to help her go to bed or something. I've had my fair share of drunk girls back in the days, but the situation's entirely different, and I'm not quite the same guy either. She tries to walk to the living room on her own, but trips over her feet. I instinctively grab her arm, steadying her, and lead her to the couch until she's sitting down.

"Maybe you should take off your heels," I offer hesitantly, as her stare lands on me again, and it's starting to make me feel really self-conscious.

"You're hot," she blurts out, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I stay flabbergasted for a second, and laugh. She spent three days insulting me, and all of a sudden I'm hot. Well, if a little – or a lot – of alcohol is what it takes to loosen her up, I'm fine with it. It could even be fun to take advantage of her state and play with her a little.

"I'm hot, uh? Well, it's better than a jerk. I'll take it," I answer, still laughing quietly.

"Don't be cocky, now. You know you're hot," she slurs while taking off the straps of her shoes. "Everybody knows you're hot. But I only realized that tonight, actually." She speaks loudly, cheerfully. I never would've thought she had it in her, even drunk.

"That I'm hot?" I persist because it is really fun to see her like that.

"Yeah!" She yells, looking at me with wide eyes, a huge smile on her lips. I can't stop laughing. It's the first time I see her genuinely smiling, and talking to me without any restraint. Her lips are turning into a little pout. She's really amusing when she's drunk.

"You seem to have enjoyed yourself tonight," I observe, and I can't say anything else before she starts speaking again. It almost seems like she can't physically restrain herself from talking, and rather fast, too.

"I did, it was so much fun. Rosalie is such an amazing girl. I don't know why everybody thinks she's a bitch. Well, they think I'm a bitch. But all the girls in the office are bitches, let me tell you," she adds in a stern voice, pointing her finger at me.

"Ok," I chuckle. "So Rosalie's your colleague, then?" I ask. Not that I'm really interested, but I need to keep her going, this is way too entertaining to stop.

"Yes. She just moved here. Hey, kinda like you!" She yells again, and I bit my tongue not to retort that I didn't 'just' move here, no need to anger her. Her hostility is already annoying, I don't want to see it heightened by the effect of too much beer, or whatever shit she's been drinking.

"And she thinks I'm hot?" I get back to the original topic. I don't know why, but I like hearing her say that I'm hot. Tomorrow she'll surely be back to calling me a jerk, I might as well fully enjoy it while it lasts.

"No, she doesn't know you," she starts again, and doesn't even stop to breathe. "Alice thinks you're hot, though, but not in a creepy way, you know? And I think you're hot, but you're an asshole," she explain casually. I already knew what opinion she had of me, she's been insulting me enough during the past two days; yet hearing her saying it out loud, and so naturally, is actually hurtful. Plus, I never meant to be an asshole with her, she sort of asked for it.

"Is that what you think?" I ask her as evenly as I can.

"I'm sure you must be a nice guy; but you're an asshole with me," she answers, her joyful tone never fading. She really doesn't realize what she's saying to me.

"Ouch," I whisper, and I know she didn't hear when I lift my eyes to hers and she's staring at my tattoo again. She's evidently trying to decipher it; her brows are furrowed, her lips sealed in a tight line. It seems to be quite hard with her probably blurred vision due to her drunkenness.

"You're staring, Bella," I warn nicely. I truly don't know how to react to her gaze on me. I like it, probably more than I should, because she reminds me of the fantasy I had of her the other day in the shower. I imagined her looking at me that way, but it was only a fantasy. I never truly wanted it; now that she does, I'm unsure of how to handle it.

"I like your tattoo. Can I touch it?" She almost looks like a little girl in front of a present. She doesn't grasp how wrong this is.

"What? No," I answer defensively.

"Oh come on, don't be a baby," she says, launching herself at me on the couch. I'm forced to slump back and she's almost on top of me, her face inches from my chest, and her hands on either side of my waist.

I don't know what the fuck is happening, here. She seems to be indeed attracted to me. One thing is for sure, though: she might be the most annoying girl I've ever met, right now she's actually fucking sexy and I like her on top of me. I force myself to think with my brain and not some other part of my anatomy that's enjoying this way too much. I slowly push her back so she's resting on her side of the couch. She doesn't even realize how inappropriate and disturbing her move was, and starts speaking again.

"I miss my home. And I'm hungry," she pouts, and for the first time since I met her, I feel like shit. I was so focused on getting her out of my place as quickly as possible that I didn't want to think about how it could affect her.

"I'm pretty sure those things are completely unrelated, though," I joke, trying to keep the tone light, because the last thing I want is for her to start crying or some shit. I can't deal with tears.

"I don't know…I need to sleep…" she replies absent-mindedly.

"Clearly," I laugh quietly, and I think I should try to reassure her a little. "Bella, you know, this is your place for as long as you live here. Until you go, consider yourself at home," I offer earnestly, even though some part of me, the biggest part, enjoys very much the way things have been the past two days.

"Not true," she retorts immediately, continuing without giving me a chance to respond. "You don't want me here; you don't want to see me, you're a total jerk to me as if this was easy for me and you're the only one suffering from this situation. Well you're not," she says with a smile, keeping her cheerful voice. I think maybe I should stop her, answer her, but she doesn't seem upset and speaks in such a rush that I can't say a word. "I have to leave, and I could never afford a place like this, normally, so I'll have to move into a shitty small apartment. Well not anymore, thanks to Rosalie who offered to let me move in with her. That girl is awesome. You should have seen Alice's face when we told her. She was all jealous because she wasn't a part of it. She felt left out of the party or something. We would have asked her, too, but she doesn't need a place. What would she do without Jasper? But she was so funny with that little pout on her face like a ba-"

"Wait, wait, hold on a sec," I cut her off in shock. "What did you say about Alice and Jasper?"

"Nothing," she answers firmly after hesitating a few seconds.

"Alice is living with Jasper?" I ask again incredulously.

"Noooo," she answers drunkenly, shaking her head. "I never said that. Please tell me I never said that," she begs, because she obviously wasn't supposed to say anything.

"Fuck! I can't believe this!" I practically yell, and Bella doesn't answer. She just looks at me apologetically, almost as if she felt sorry for me. I slouch back on the couch, looking at the ceiling. I can't believe my own sister wouldn't tell me such an important part of her life. And I can't understand why she'd choose to live with him. A few minutes pass and Bella is still silent. I look at her and she's about to fall asleep on the couch in a sitting position.

"You should go to bed, Bella," I offer nicely.

"You're right," she concedes tiredly. "I'm still hungry, though."

"There are leftovers in the fridge," I suggest, gesturing towards the kitchen. This conversation was fun, until the part about Alice at least, but I'm certain she'll be bitchy again tomorrow, so I'm not ready to cook for her again.

"Awesome!" she exclaims clapping her hands, startling me. She practically jumps from the couch and staggers to the kitchen. I lay in the couch for a few moments, turning in my head this troubling piece of information she just gave me.

I'm brought back to reality by Bella coming back to the living room with a plate in her hand. I get up from the couch, desperate to be alone as the news about Alice is upsetting me. She bends over to put her plate on the coffee table and probably stands up too fast. She loses her balance as I walk past her, and grabs my arm to support herself. Before I can react, she puts hers hands on my bare torso and looks at me from under her lashes, biting her lips and blushing.

If she's not doing it on purpose, she's doing a pretty good job at tempting me. She's fucking sexy.

I need to step away from her. I'm starting to get aroused by her and it could be very bad considering our situation. Plus she's drunk, and I'd never take advantage of her state, especially considering that she'll still hate me in the morning. I'm about to step back and walk away when she pushes her whole body against me and moves her mouth closer to my ear.

"Can I tell you a secret, Edward?" She whispers in an amused, yet sultry voice.

"Yes," I whisper back, my heart beating a little faster, for some reason.

"I saw you," she sings, and starts giggling, which isn't helping the arousal issue at all.

"Where?"I ask. I'm almost certain she's referring to the day I came back. I'm sure she saw me in the bathroom, but I need to hear her say it.

"In the shower. I saw everything," she whispers as loud as she can while sliding her hand down my chest until it reaches the waistband of my jeans. My breath catches; I can't move as all my blood runs straight to my cock. "Shhhh…it's a secret," she adds, lifting her index finger to her lips.

I keep my hands into fists at my sides, trying hard not to touch her, and keep staring at her. I need to get away from here, right now. She just made my fantasy from the other day a little more real, but I can't act on it. She won't probably remember saying it tomorrow morning.

Plus, she confessed that she saw me, she didn't really admit that she looked on purpose. Or that she liked what she saw, anyway. It takes all the strength I didn't even know I had in me not to ask her. I take a step back, walk away from her and quickly move to my bedroom, closing the door behind me.

She's not as bitchy as I thought she was, at least when she's drunk. Maybe I should've stayed and made sure she was fine and went to bed safely. But I'm too attracted to her; too aroused by her. Something about the way she looks at me, as if she was going to eat me is incredibly erotic. I spent months wondering if I could ever get a boner again, but now my dick is rock hard and I can't even do anything about it. Life fucking sucks sometimes.

I take off my jeans and go straight to bed, knowing that I won't be able to sleep right away. I lay there for several minutes, trying to calm myself and erase from my head the images of Bella practically flirting with me. I can't be certain she was in fact seducing me; maybe only her inebriation made it appear like flirtation. And I can't dwell on that thought all night, so many hints of information she divulged are swirling in my head, how can I process everything?

Apart from the fact that my sister lives with my judgmental, not-so-loyal former best friend, Bella also said she was going to live with Rosalie. She was drunk, so I probably shouldn't take her at her word. We'll need to have a conversation tomorrow; she has some explaining to do.

I'm startled out of my musings by the sound of a door opening. At first I believe it's hers, that she's going to bed, yet it sounded strangely close. I turn my head and in the semi darkness of the room I see Bella. She's here, in my room, closing the door behind her.

Maybe I fell asleep and this is just a dream. She got me so worked up, it wouldn't be surprising. When she trips over her own feet and almost falls on her face, I know for sure this is happening. She's probably too drunk to remember that we switched rooms two days ago, and she instinctively came back to the room she's been sleeping in for the past year. I'm about to inform her of her mistake, but then she starts undressing, effectively rendering me speechless. She takes her pants off, clearly fully concentrated on not losing her balance. Then she turns slightly to her side and gives me a perfect view of her ass, covered only in black lace.

In the back of my head I know this is wrong, and she's going to kill me tomorrow morning for letting her undress in front of me. I just can't stop watching her as she reaches back under her top and takes off her bra. She moves to the side of the bed in only her top and panties, and gets underneath the covers. I freeze; if I move I might scare the living shit out of her, and she'll go back to her bedroom. As twisted as it might be, I don't want either of it. I'm convinced I'll go to hell for this, but I can't control myself.

I'll never manage to fall asleep with her in my bed. I try to relax, even though some parts of my body won't. I keep my eyes on her, and after only a few seconds I can tell by her soft breathing that she's already asleep. I watch her, fighting the urge to put my hands on her, or on myself. I'm not that much of a pervert.

At some point, I finally fall asleep, and wake up in the morning with something heavy sprawled over my abdomen. I recall what happened last night, and realize it must be Bella before I even open my eyes. Only when I do, the morning wood I was already sporting turns rock solid. This girl is going to kill me.

She's lying across the bed, her feet dangling off the side, covers kicked down to the floor and exposing her legs bare. Her head is resting on my stomach, her nose facing my crotch; inches away from my dick. Even in my dreams I couldn't have imagined waking up to such an arousing sight. I can't comprehend how she could get in that position, or how she could sleep in it. Honestly I don't really care. Her mouth is so close to where I really want it, I'm going crazy.

I have no idea what to do. I can't possibly do what I want to, which is softly grab her hair and guide her while she releases the tension in my boxers. Fuck, I need to stay focused. If I move, she'll wake up and she'll murder me. If I don't, she'll still wake up eventually and murder me all the same. I'm fucked.

Before I can decide which way I want to die, she moves down slightly, effectively nuzzling my cock. I can't take it anymore; she has to wake up, no matter what happens next. I move and stir on the bed, pretending to wake up. She shifts a little, but I can't really see her face. Suddenly she freezes and I know she's fully awake. I remain immobile and silent as I brace myself for her reaction.

She gasps, pushes herself away from me and almost jumps from the bed. But in her haste she falls backwards, flips over the edge of the bed, and lands on the floor in a loud thud with her feet flailing in the air. In a split second her expressions goes from shock to confusion, and then shock again. It's undoubtedly the worst thing I could have done, yet I can't help but laugh. Her head snaps up, her expression pure rage now, and she throws me a death glare.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Finally, Bella stopped being bitchy to poor Edward! But she's drunk...how is she going to react waking up in THAT position? **_

_**Thank you so much for your reviews! It's so exiting to know what your thinking!**_

_**And my beta theotherbella is the best, so huge thanks to her, too!**_

_**Please keep reviewing, I love it!**_


	6. Reassessment

**Chapter 6 – Reassessment **

**BPOV**

I'm slowly waking up, but my head hurts and feels heavy. I can't move, let alone open my eyes. It's the last time I get drunk the way I did last night.

I try to remember what happened, but all the memories seem to have been washed out by all the alcohol in my system. I slowly become aware that I'm not alone in my bed; at first I thought the feeling of having my head in that position is the cause of the headache, but it isn't. My head is resting on something, or someone, to be more precise. From the confines of my semi consciousness, I hear and feel someone breathing under my ear, and I know it's a man because I definitely smell cologne. I suddenly don't want to wake up completely and meet this person I apparently slept with.

The guy underneath me shifts a little, probably waking up too. I don't have a choice anymore, I have to come back from my blissful unconsciousness and face the hard, shameful reality. I slowly open my eyes and study my surroundings. It takes me a moment to register what I see. I recognize the room instantly, as I've been sleeping in it for the past year. Except this isn't my room anymore, I gave it back to Edward two days ago. In a split second I identify this smell of man and my mind puts the pieces together. I never paid too much attention to it, but I'm positive it's Edward's. I freeze in shock. Fuck, I'm in bed with him.

And the turn of phrase 'in bed with him' doesn't quite cover it. I'm resting my head on his stomach, my nose facing his crotch, and I have a perfect view of his very erect penis.

I gasp and forcefully push myself away from him. In my haste I fall backwards from the bed and land on the floor in a loud thud. From the corner of my eye, I have the horrendous confirmation that the man on the bed is in fact Edward, and the douche bag has the impertinence to laugh at me. My head snaps up and in that moment I wish I could kill him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I yell hysterically.

"This is my room," he counters, visibly as dumbfounded as I am when the amusing feel of witnessing my fall abates. "What the fuck are _you_ doing here?"

"Are you kidding me? You want to play it that way? Again?" I yell ever louder, disconcerted as I thought we were past the mine/yours issue by now.

"Yes! I slept in my own bed. I have no fucking clue why you didn't. How can you turn this into being my fault again?" He shouts back, before settling down and running his hand through his hair nervously. "Look, Bella, calm down. You came home drunk last night, you got in the wrong bed, no big deal. It's not the end of the world," he offers politely, putting on his jeans. I grab my pants on the floor and get dressed, somewhat self-conscious to be half-naked in front of him.

"Waking up with your dick in my face is pretty close to it!" I snap harshly, and I regret it the moment the words are out. My head hurts like hell, I'm confused; I just can't seem to be able to calm myself. "What happened last night? You really didn't notice I was here?" I inquire as serenely as I can manage, which is nowhere near serene, to be honest.

"If I did, I would've asked you to get out," he retorts, and for some reason that I can't even comprehend, my feelings are hurt.

"Yeah, you're pretty good at asking me that," I counter ruthlessly; and again, I regret it instantly.

"I can't believe this," he sighs in exasperation. "I can't believe how unreasonable you are. If you want me to tell you what happened last night, fine." He takes a step closer to me, running a hand through his hair again, and it's obvious that I'm getting on his nerves. I force myself to stay silent and listen to him. "You came home completely wasted, to the point that you could barely stand up by yourself. We talked, surprisingly enough," he adds in a fake cheerful voice, and continues in the same tone. "I'm not sure what the best part was, though: when you told me about Alice and Jasper, when you said you were moving in with the blonde, which is actually great news; or when you kept making sexual innuendos and flirting with me."

"What? What sexual innuendos?" I reply defensively. "How could I be flirting with you? You're-"

"An asshole? Yeah, you said that too," he nearly spits. It's not even what I was about to say; but he doesn't stop long enough for me to respond. "Yet you also said you found me really hot, that you liked my tattoo, and that you wanted to touch it," he walks slowly to me with a cocky smile on his lips, and I really want to slap it off his face. "You tried, as a matter of fact."

"Right, then out of nowhere I end up half naked in your bed, and you have no clue how that happened?" I ask, my voice still uncontrollably high pitched. The more we talk, the less I'm reassured about last night's events.

"Do you really think I go for the hardly conscious drunk girl? Even naked in my bed I wouldn't touch you," he says spitefully, and it feels like a slap in the face. The part I don't understand is why his words affect me that much. "It's not my fault you got so hammered you said things you shouldn't have and don't remember. So hammered you could barely stagger to the bed without tripping on your own feet several times." His turn of phrase doesn't sound right. I turn it in my head for a minute, and I realize what it means.

"You saw me, then," I retort, my words sounding halfway between a question and a statement. I have all the confirmation I needed when he casts his eyes down for only a second, probably realizing the mistake he just made. "You fucking douche bag, you knew I was in your bed," I screech. I feel so deceived that he'd take advantage of my inebriated state and then blatantly lie to me. "Tell me what happened? Did you just watch me undress or did you do it yourself?"

"Fuck, yes, I knew. Happy, now?" he concedes defeatedly. "Stop implying I took advantage of you, because I didn't lay a finger on you," he states firmly, and I believe him. But his next words don't help me calm down. "I was sure that the next morning you'd be yourself again: a bitter, cold bitch. Only when you're drunk you can appear as a nice girl, fun even; but apparently it's just the alcohol," he isn't yelling, his voice is cold, and he looks disappointed as if he had hoped for another outcome.

"Don't try to turn this around, Edward. You saw me take off my clothes and get to bed with you and you said nothing. How do you think that makes me feel?" I try to explain, but I'm still unable to control my voice. I guess that from his side, I'm just attacking at him.

"Really, you want to lecture me about watching people naked?" he asks incredulously, and he has a point. "You know what: I apologize," he continues as he walks closer to me, without letting me respond. "I'm so sick of you, I truly can't stand you; no wonder you live alone. The only pleasant thing I got from knowing you was a boner, and maybe if I'd fucked you good and hard last night, it could've lighten you up a little, and free you from your arrogance and superiority. But it wasn't even worth trying," he spits, and his words are really hurtful. It takes me a few seconds to open my mouth and answer; and when I do, my voice is finally back to normal; I'm finally calm.

"My god, you're disgusting," I answer, using the same tone of voice he did. I throw back at him the first thing that comes to mind, the one thing that I know will upset him as much as his words upset me. "No wonder your fiancée sent you back to another continent. How could she even consider marrying an asshole like you?"

I witness the pain flash in his eyes and see him flinch as if I had punched him. He takes another step forwards and stops right in front of me. He's towering over me, looking down on me with a hateful expression.

"You were right last night. I don't want you here; I don't want to see you, especially not today. I'm going to take a shower; get the fuck out of _my_ apartment before I finish. And please try to refrain from opening the door and watching me."

He walks past me and slams the bathroom door shut. I stay speechless for a moment; I can't believe the things we just said to each other, how far we went. Yes, he watched me undress, but I watched him shower. I guess that makes us even. Plus, the comment about his ex fiancée was excessive; I never should've said that. I understand why he wants me out of his place today, why he wants me out of here for good. He's right, I've been a bitch from day one.

Some part of me desperately wants to stay until he gets out of the shower, talk to him and admit that I overreacted. The other part knows he needs some space, and it's probably best if I wait a little before broaching the subject again.

Also, I need to warn Alice of the huge mistake I made. She needs to know that I informed Edward of where she lives, and more importantly with whom. And she needs to hear it from me, before Edward asks for an explanation.

I run to my room, change clothes and quickly head outside. I grab my phone from my purse to call Alice, and see I have a text from Rosalie.

_I did something bad last night. I need to talk to you. Can you come to my hotel ASAP?_

Apparently, I'm not the only one who messed up. I vaguely remember Emmett picking us up, and that he dropped me off first. I already imagine what her "something bad" might be. I decide to call Alice before texting Rosalie back. She answers on the first ring.

"Hey, Bella! I was about to call you and see if you were ok. My head is killing me," she jokes.

"Me, too. Um…, actually I'm not really ok. Not at all," I answer hesitantly. "I need to talk to you, before you talk to Edward."

"I don't like the sound of that," she says worriedly.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"You told him?" She yells, but I don't want to have this conversation over the phone.

"Alice, can we talk face to face, please?"

"Ok," she sighs. "Jasper just drove me to my car. I'm coming over," she offers, and I'm glad she doesn't seem too mad at me.

"No, meet me at Rosalie's hotel room. Apparently she did something bad, too."

"That's it, I'm never letting you girls drink again. Ever," she says sternly, and I laugh quietly. "Alright, see you in a bit."

She hangs up the phone and I drive to the hotel. When I arrive, Alice is already there and I'm instantly relieved as she pulls me into her arms to reassure me.

"Alice, I'm so sorry," I plead as she releases me, and she just nods kindly.

"Sit down, and explain everything. I assume you didn't tell him on purpose," she says as we all sit on Rosalie's bed.

"No, of course not. I don't even remember anything. We were fighting this morning, and he just said he knew."

"You were fighting again?" Alice asks reproachfully.

"Yes. I've made such a mess," I whisper guiltily, casting my eyes down to my lap. Rose, put her hand on my back, rubbing soothingly.

"Alright, spill it. From the start," she commands softly. I take a deep breath and relate the entire story to them.

"I don't remember any of it, but according to him I said a lot of things last night, including that I was moving in with Rose, that you were living with Jasper, and that I thought he was hot."

"You hit on him?" Rose inquires with a hint of pride in her tone, as if this was a good thing.

"First things first," Alice interjects. "How did he react to the Jasper-and-me thing?"

"He was already mad at me, so I can't really tell. Since he didn't ask me to explain, I guess he'll want to talk to you. I'm so sorry, Alice," I plead again, and she puts her hand in mine affectionately.

"It's not your fault; I should have told him a long time ago. I'll call him and talk to him. Hopefully he'll understand," she continues sadly.

"If it makes you feel better, he's so mad at me that he won't have enough anger left for anyone else," I joke half-hearted.

"What happened exactly?" Rose asks. "How did you go from hitting on him to upsetting him?"

"Apparently I kept flirting with him, trying to touch his tattoo or something, I don't know. The only thing I remember is waking up half naked in his bed," I explain as clearly as I can, considering the headache and the state of nerve I'm in.

"No shit? You had sex with him?" Rose exclaims with a big smile.

"No, he said even naked in his bed he'd never touch me," I answer, and I can't help the hurt from seeping through my voice.

"Ouch," Rosalie comments.

"Maybe he just meant while drunk…" Alice adds meditatively. "And that still doesn't explain why he was mad at you."

"Because I was so confused and shocked when I woke up, I instantly yell at him. He admitted that he was still awake when I took off my clothes and got to bed, so I accused him of taking advantage of me," I explain in a rush, not wanting to be interrupted again before I get it off my chest. "We kept fighting; I ended up telling him I understood why his fiancée sent him back here."

"Shit, Bella, that's harsh. No wonder he's pissed," Alice says worriedly. "You need to apologize."

"I know; I will. And not only for last night, I guess. I didn't realize I was being such a bitch with him," I admit sheepishly, and the girls give me a sympathetic smile. "Ok, Rose. Your turn."

"I fucked Emmett," she blurts out unashamedly, and Alice and I burst out laughing.

"I thought you said you did something bad?" Alice asks, clearly not seeing why sleeping with Emmett could be a mistake. "And how did that happen exactly?"

"You want me to draw you a picture?" Rose snaps back playfully.

"Rose, come on," Alice chides.

"Ok. I drove me back here last night after dropping you off – and Edward _is_ hot, by the way," she adds, winking at me. "Emmett walked me to my room, and I think I asked him to stay with me. Apparently he said yes, because I woke up a few hours later and he was there with me, in bed," Rosalie explains. She takes a breath and opens her mouth to continue, but I interrupt her, confused by her story.

"He had sex with you while you were drunk? That's not like Emmett."

"No, we were both fully dressed," she reassures me. "My head hurt like hell, so he gave me some Tylenol with a glass of water."

"Cute," Alice sings.

"I don't usually go for the cute, nice guy," she starts again, but Alice cut her off.

"But you did."

"Not really," she replies cryptically. "We talked a little, laughed and all of a sudden he says he has to leave."

"So you jumped him?" Alice interrupts again, fully absorbed by Rose's tale.

"Come on, Alice. Stop trying to guess," I scold her, because I also want to hear what happened.

"I asked him why," Rose continues, amused by our antics, "and he answered 'because I won't stand not fucking you for the rest of the night'," she adds, and stops talking. Both Alice and I stay silent, waiting for the next part. She looks at us with a huge grin on her face and says "So I jumped him."

"How is that something bad?" I ask curiously.

"Because we work at the same firm. And since he was gone when I woke up an hour ago, I guess he considers it was a mistake, too," she concludes sadly.

"How do you feel about that?"

"Honestly, I just had the best sex of my life, so I'm good. I just hope it won't be a problem at the office, and that you girls are ok with it," she looks at us with a questioning expression.

"Emmett won't say anything, you can trust him," I reassure her. "And frankly, he needed it, so it might as well be with you."

We both stay silent for a moment, contemplating everything that happened last night, and how to handle the consequences of what was said and done.

"Look at us, we made such a mess," I sigh.

"Everything will be fine," Alice replies cheerfully.

"You saw it?" Rose asks, clearly making fun of her.

"Don't mock me, you'll see. Emmett is a decent man, so you won't have any problems at work for a one night stand. Bella will talk to Edward and he'll calm down. Even if he doesn't, in two weeks you're moving out, so it won't be an issue anymore. And I'll try to explain to him about Jasper, and he'll be mad at me. But he'll settle down, eventually. The thing I'm actually worried about is that I also told my parents he was back, and he doesn't know. And they're expecting us for dinner next weekend."

"He's going to hate you," I state confidently.

"He should," Rose comments jokingly.

"Ugh, I know," she whines, hiding her face in her hands.

We stay together for the rest of the afternoon, order some pizza and talk a lot. It feels comforting and safe to be with them, and I already dread the moment I'll have to talk to Edward. None of us really wants to face the reality of our mistakes. Alice calls Jasper later in the day to inform him that she won't be home that night. We end up going to the movies and sleeping over at Rose's hotel.

The next morning, Alice tries to call Edward several times but he doesn't answer. Before noon, we both decide it's time to go home, and head back to our cars.

When I arrive at the apartment, Edward isn't there. Some part of me is relieved that I won't have to face him. Some other part needs to make amends and clear my conscience, and wishes this could be over with.

I head to the shower and as soon as I'm under the hot spray, my mind drifts back to Edward. Suddenly, images of him in the shower assault my mind. I close my eyes and remember the water rolling down his muscular back, his perfect ass. And he knows I saw him.

All of a sudden a vision of last night flashes in my head. I see myself pressed against him, sliding my hand down his bare chest. My heart starts beating faster; I can't believe I really did that. I didn't realize I wanted to do that. I was so focused on hating him for making me relive the most traumatic years of my youth; I wouldn't admit I was attracted to him since the first second. Somehow, the alcohol set it free. I concentrate on the memories and I remember staring at his tattoo. I still can't decipher that, though, and it really annoys me. I also remember telling him he's an asshole. Indeed, I was a bitch.

My heart skips a beat when a vision of his gaze on me comes to my mind. His green eyes are locked on me, watching me hungrily, and I'm instantly turned on by only the memory of it. He said he was, too. He confessed I got him aroused; that he thought about fucking me hard. And right now I really want him to fuck me hard, in the shower or wherever he wants.

I'm startled out of my fantasy by the water running cold; I must have daydreamed about him longer than I thought. I get out of the shower, cursing at the cold water for ruining this moment; but I sadly realize that I ruined much more than just a little fantasy.

I merely have time to get dressed before I hear the front door open. I walk to the living room, firmly decided to deal with the consequences of my bitchiness and make the first step to fix the mess I've made this morning. Edward's visibly back from running or some other sport; he's only wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and he's all sweaty. He doesn't give me the opportunity to say a word and never looks at me, even when he walks past me on his way to the bathroom. I grasp that he's probably going to take a shower, and I used all the hot water. This isn't starting well.

"Edward?" I call out to him, following him in the hallway.

"What?" He answers in a hard voice.

"Were you going to take a shower?" I inquire as nicely as I can, ignoring his tone.

"Why, do you want to watch?" He snaps. I take a deep breath, forcing myself not to make a snappy come back. At least now I know what he felt these past few days.

"The hot water ran out," I inform him apologetically. He looks at me with wide eyes for a second, shakes his head slightly and turns around.

"Fucking perfect." He slams the door shut and I hear the water running. I sit down in the couch, waiting for him to come out, and trying to find the perfect way to apologize. He exits the bathroom only a few moments later and heads straight to his room; he obviously doesn't want to see me. I walk to his room, determined to talk to him. His door is open and I stop in the doorway, mechanically looking inside. My breath catches as I see him, still naked as he's just putting on a pair of loose jeans, with no underwear. His back is turned to me, and he swiftly turns around as he must have heard me gasp.

"You have to be fucking kidding me!" He exclaims in disbelief, taking a few strides until he's in front of me, his hand on the door, ready to slam it in my face.

"I'm sorry," I respond immediately with my hands held up in surrender. He seems shocked by my words, eyes me curiously for a second, and runs a hand in his hair nervously.

"For what exactly?" he asks, calming down a little.

"Mostly, for being such a bitch," I admit earnestly as he takes a last step closer to me. I can't help but let my eyes glimpse at his chest again, just for a second. But when I lift my eyes to his face I see the cocky smile forming at the corner of his lips. Shit, he caught me again! Yet instead of being bothered as I expected, he seems to enjoy it. And from the way he looks at me at this moment, his anger has been replaced by an entirely different feeling. I'm scared that I might start to blush, and I have no idea how to react to his desirous stare, so I quickly turn around and walk back to my room, closing the door behind me.

I slouch down on my bed, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. I apologized, that's a good thing. I didn't give him time to say anything, but I wasn't expecting him to forgive me so quickly, anyway. We'll talk later if he wants to; preferably when he's fully clothed. Now that I've let myself feel that attraction to him, I can't seem to be able to control myself. How couldn't I notice how sexy he was before? And I have no idea how to go two weeks without him noticing anything.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: FINALLY Bella apologized! It was about time, right!**_

_**Thank you very much for sticking with her, and I know she really annoyed some of you! Now, they seem to be done fighting, so it should get "interesting" really soon! ;)**_

_**Thank you theotherbella, who's so awesome she worries about beta-ing the next chapter in the wake of a major storm!**_

_**Please review!**_


	7. Something different

**Chapter 7 – Something different**

**BPOV**

I arrive at work on Monday and walk straight to Emmett's office. I desperately need to relate to him all the events that occurred during the past weekend, and I know he's already here. He always arrives early, and even without looking I couldn't miss his humongous car in the parking lot. I don't even bother knocking on the door before entering, and sit on my usual spot in front of him after closing the door behind me.

"Hey, Bells. How are you doing?" He asks, looking at me worriedly. He must already know the mess I made of things with Edward; just like I know what he did with Rosalie.

"I'm…perplexed, to be honest," I answer after hesitating on the word that would best describe my state of mind. "And you?"

"Me too," he sighs loudly, and then continues, "I slept with Rosalie, but I guess you already know that. I feel like such an asshole for leaving like I did. I was so confused."

"Emmett, she understands why you reacted that way," I try to reassure him. "She was afraid it might affect work, too. She's not mad at you, and she won't tell anyone."

"Good," he concludes contentedly, and I know I guess it's best to move on to my problem.

"I told Edward about Alice, but I have a feeling you already heard that story, too," I begin jokingly.

"Jasper called me," he answers almost apologetically. I know for sure that he's not informed of some part of my admissions, though.

"I also told him I thought he was hot. And I do; he is fucking sexy," I sigh desperately.

"You want him," he says, and it's clearly not a question.

"No…I don't know," I answer uncertainly, because I truly have no idea what I feel about Edward.

"Listen," he starts again after a few moments of silence, "I have a shitload of work today, and you do too, by the way. Let's go to dinner tonight, and we'll try to sort this shit out," he offers sweetly, and I accept instantly.

I walk back to my desk, and concentrate on my work for the rest of the day. It feels good to focus on something other than the drunken debacle, as we spent the entire weekend dealing with drama. A normal, boring day at work turns out to be rather relaxing.

Later in the afternoon I receive a text from Alice and she seems really worried.

_Hi. Have you seen Edward this morning? I called him a hundred times but he doesn't answer…maybe he's just mad at me…Btw, did you get a chance to apologize? _

I reply immediately, even though I don't think it will appease her concern.

_He was already gone when I left. I barely talked to him last night, kind of apologized…we didn't fight, so it's getting better… Give him a little time to digest everything, he'll probably come around._

I put my phone back in my purse after she sends me a smiling face, and I try to get back to work. I feel guilty that I let the information slip. I should have been more careful, or less drunk. He may have reacted differently if she had told him herself, in a more delicate manner.

I leave out on purpose the fact that I'm attracted to him. She has enough to think about, no need to tell her for now. A few hours later, I pack my things and head out of the office. I get in the elevator and just before the doors close, Jacob Black enters.

"Hi, Bella," he says with a blinding smile on his face.

"Hi, Jacob," I answer politely.

"How was your day?"

"Good, as always. And yours?" I ask out of courtesy, not really interested.

"Great," he answers merrily. "I'm starving. Do you want to grab some dinner?" I stay dumbfounded for a second. Perhaps he's just asking to be polite, too; although considering how Rosalie described him, he might have some other motivation.

"Um…I already have plans, actually. But thanks," I reply tentatively. I don't want to appear discourteous, even though I'd never accept any invitation from him, regardless of my plans with Emmett.

"No problem," he says, his smile never fading. We exit the elevator and walk in different directions. I take two steps and turn around as I hear him calling me out. "Bella, you look really lovely today," he comments, obviously checking me out. Rose was right; this guy is a douche, clearly. He's been here less than a week and he's already hitting on one of the assistants.

At this moment, it comes to my mind that I haven't seen or heard from her since yesterday. I hope she's fine, and that her night with Emmett didn't cause any problems. I decide to send her a text, just to make sure.

_Hi, soon-to-be-roomie, haven't seen you today. You ok?_

My phone rings as I get her reply several minutes later, while I'm driving.

_Sure, why wouldn't I be? Just a lot of work. Lunch tomorrow?_

I answer that I'll be there, and put the phone back in my purse. I meet Emmett at a small Italian restaurant. It's the only place that serves enough food in one plate to fill Emmett's stomach, so it has quickly become his favorite restaurant in town. We sit at a table in a quiet corner, and we wait until our plates arrive to start talking, knowing for sure we wouldn't be interrupted.

I briefly tell him about my encounter with Jacob, and he's as disgusted as I am. I then relay the details of the entire weekend to Emmett, and it feels good to get it all off my chest.

"Alice called," I inform, "She's worried because Edward won't answer her messages. I feel like it's my fault."

"Don't blame yourself," he answers reassuringly. "She should have told him long ago."

I love talking to Alice and Rose, but it's nothing compared to having a guy's opinion, sometimes. He makes me laugh with his dirty jokes about Edward fucking me good and hard, and makes me feel a lot better about the whole situation. We talk a lot and at some point, the conversation lands on Rosalie, when I explain our deal about sharing her apartment.

"Did you hear from her at all?" I inquire cautiously, not really knowing if this is a sore subject for him. His apparent confusion is rather atypical of him.

"No. Since that night, I don't think we're supposed to call each other afterwards. That's the whole point," he answers flatly, but the look in his eyes tells me he doesn't believe a word he just said.

"Emmett, I've seen you with girls since high school, and you've had a lot of one night stands, especially in College. Yet I've never seen you perplexed the next morning," I remark nicely, not wanting to pressure him.

"Bella," he starts but stops abruptly, taking a lungful of air and releasing it loudly. "All I know is that I've never in my life wanted a woman like I did her that night. And I've never been confused afterwards. But I am, and I don't want to know why. It was just a one night stand."

"Ok." This conversation is evidently making him uncomfortable, and I don't want to push him, so I drop the subject. We continue our dinner talking about unimportant details, laughing. I enjoy spending the evening with him. We didn't find any time sooner to talk about everything that's happened, and I grasp only now how much I needed his opinion.

After a couple of hours, I drive back home and when I arrive, the apartment is empty. I take advantage of Edward's absence to hang around in the kitchen, as I rarely feel comfortable enough to do it when he's here. I get a soda in the fridge and pour it in a glass. Only a few minutes later, I hear the door open and Edward walks in the living room.

"Hi," I call out tentatively from the kitchen, leaning in the doorway to see him. I know I'm responsible for how bad things have been between us from the start; I need to make it better.

"Hi," he answers tiredly; he looks exhausted, too. He's wearing a dark grey suit with a lighter grey tie; his hair is tamed, at least more than usual. He's very handsome.

"You're all dressed up," I observe in surprise.

"I just got back from work," he explains in a strained voice, plumping down on the couch.

"You have a job?" I ask in disbelief, and I can tell he didn't like my tone. "I assumed it would take longer for you to find one," I clarify immediately.

"I thought so, too, to be honest," he answers proudly, relaxing instantly.

"Well, congratulations, then," I offer, raising my glass to him. A content smile forms on his lips, and I know we're progressing. "You want to drink to your success?"

"Sure, why not? As long as it's not alcohol," he jokes, and I see by the expression on his face that he feels guilty instantaneously. He must think that I'll react badly, but I don't. It took me some time to come to my senses, but I really want to make this easy for the both of us. I get back in the kitchen to pour him a glass, and he follows me in silence. I hold the glass for him to take, earning another smile from him. With that smile, in that suit, he is fucking dazzling. I feel self-conscious; there's something about his gaze that makes me feel exposed, so I drop my eyes to the floor. When I look back at him, he's eyeing me interrogatively, a small smile on his lips.

"I should go to bed, I'm really tired," he says as he places his glass in the sink.

"I need some sleep, too," I state, and empty my glass in one last swallow. As I put it down on the counter, he walks past me; but instead of exiting the kitchen, he takes a step back and stops right in front of me.

"Bella?" He asks, waiting for me to look at him. I'm not sure I should, he's way too close, towering over me. "Thank you," he simply says in a low voice, and I know he's not referring to the diet coke. He walks out of the kitchen and straight to his bedroom, closing the door behind him; and I do the same. I get undressed and crawl under the covers, closing my eyes and forcing myself not to think about Edward in that fucking suit.

The next day I meet Rosalie for lunch, as planned, at the same restaurant when went to last week. We spend the first fifteen minutes talking about work; I also tell her about Jacob's comments, eliciting a loud "fucking jackass" from her.

"When you said he was a douchebag, I didn't think it was to that point," I confess, still really disturbed by his behavior.

"Stay away from him as much as possible. Trust me," she warns softly, knowing that I'd never be fooled by Jacob, anyway.

"Yet, you work with him," I answer questioningly.

"That's why he won't come after me; he's a douche but he's not stupid," she laughs.

The waitress finally brings our order, and we start eating.

"So how are things with Edward?" She eventually asks after a few minutes.

"Good. I'm being nice to him, which isn't even that hard. He seemed to appreciate the gesture," I explain lightly. She puts her forks down in her plate, eyes me curiously for a second, and starts speaking again.

"Something changed in the way you talk about him," she says, and it sounds like a question. I hesitate for a moment; but even if Alice doesn't need to be bothered by this for now, I can still share it with Rose.

"I'm attracted to him," I confess bluntly, although it doesn't seem to surprise her.

"I can see why," she scoffs. "How bad?"

"To the point that he makes me blush like a teenager every time he looks at me," I admit embarrassedly. "Yesterday, he came home in a suit. A fucking suit."

"You're surrounded by men in suits every day," she comments dryly.

"You should see him in a suit," I counter.

"Have you told Alice that you're lusting after her big brother like a teenager?" She asks, using the same phrase I did.

"No, he's not answering her calls, so I'm not going to bother her with that. It doesn't really matter, anyway, since I'm not going to do anything about it."

"It must be hard for her, but he's finally taking it out on the right person," she comments openly.

We talk a little while longer, and she never mentions Emmett, as if nothing happened between them. She doesn't seem as confused as he is; maybe for her it was in fact just a one night stand.

I don't run into Edward when I get home that night, the next day either; I don't see Emmett very much, and Rosalie at all. I don't hear from Alice until Thursday when she calls me on my way back from work.

"Bella, I need your help," she starts nervously.

"What's wrong?" I ask in the same tone. Alice is always so upbeat that it's unnerving to hear the panic in her voice.

"Edward is still ignoring me. Can you talk to him? Please," she begs, although it's probably not a very good idea.

"Talking to him is what put you in that position in the first place," I reply, trying to make her understand without saddening her.

"Emmett implied things were better between you two. I'm not asking you to explain anything; but if you see him tonight, can you just ask him to call me?" She pleads again; and even though I shouldn't accept, my resolve is slowly fading.

"Alice, maybe you should give him more time. I don't think harassing him is going to help."

"It's important Bella. I need my brother not to hate me," she almost cries, and I can't refuse her. I can't help but think I put her in that position by making the mistake of telling Edward; the least I can do is try to help her reconcile with him.

"Ok, fine, I will," I concede. I just hope I won't make it even worse, somehow.

"Thanks, you're the best. By the way, Mom said you had to come, too, Saturday night. We'll sleep over, as usual. Emmett will be there too, of course; Jasper's relieved, I think he's really uncomfortable facing Edward, he needs his bro by his side. Ask Rosalie, she needs to be there."

"Sure," I accept immediately. I don't tell Alice about Emmett's odd reaction to his night with Rose; she has enough on her mind, and she'll see for herself Saturday.

I inform her that I just arrived home, and she thanks me once more before I hang up the phone. I enter the apartment and find Edward sprawled on the couch, a beer in hand.

"Hi, Edward," I offer softly. He barely lifts his hand and waves at me drowsily. "Tired, uh?"

"Worse than that," he chuckles, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Oh," I hesitate for a second, realizing that he isn't in the best disposition to hear about Alice. "I don't want to bother you," I continue, and he seems astounded, as if it was highly unlikely that I'd try to be civil. I ignore it, because considering my behavior since he came back, he has reasons to feel that way. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I ask tentatively.

"Sure. Grab a beer and join me," he offers, sitting up straight on the couch, and I'm glad he's not making any comment about alcohol. I quickly walk to the kitchen, grab a beer in the fridge and get back to sit on the couch, facing him. He takes off his suit jacket and his tie, and takes a sip of his beer.

I don't really know how to broach the subject without upset him. He's already wounded by Alice's lies by omission; coming from me, it might even be worse. There's a good chance he'll get mad no matter how I explain it. We were just starting to get along, it'd be a shame to go back to fighting with him again.

"I talked to Alice, today," I start cautiously, and wait for his answer.

"And?" He replies, arching an eyebrow at me. I'm not sure whether his question is sarcastic because he doesn't care that I did; or whether he's actually waiting to hear what she said.

"She's worried about you," I confess, trying hard for him not to feel attacked.

"No, she's worried because I don't want to talk to her," he counters rather harshly. However, it's clear that he's not directing his resentment at me, and I relax a little.

"Probably, yes," I admit, "still, she'd like you to call her."

"If I wanted to, I would have already. I…" he starts, but stops himself, sighing exasperatedly. He's really getting annoyed, and I have no idea whether I should say more, stay silent, or just leave him alone. He takes a big swing at his beer, and puts it loudly on the coffee table before unbuttoning the top of his shirt. Then he undoes his cufflinks and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows. I keep watching him uncomfortably, not wanting to end this conversation myself if he still wants to talk. I notice the tattoo on his forearm, and remember seeing it the first night he was here. I was so focused on his chest that I completely forgot this one.

Once again he catches me staring and he clears his throat purposefully. I raise my eyes to his and open my mouth to apologize but he's faster than me.

"What is it with you and my tattoos?" He asks teasingly, and I'm torn between being happy he isn't bothered again, and astonished by his suggestive gaze. He must be aware of it, because I suddenly notice the playful glint flashing in his eyes, and I decide to go along with it.

"I'm just curious, I guess. I'm never close enough to see them properly," I answer matter-of-factly, and realize a second later that I just complained about not being enough close to him.

He laughs quietly, and then looks at me for a second, visibly deliberating on something in his head.

"Well, then, let's get closer and see," he adds in a low voice, moving closer to me on the couch. I stay speechless, well aware of the underlining meaning to his sentence. He seems to be flirting with me, and I'm not sure whether he's just toying with me because of my confession, or actually attracted to me, too, somehow. He's sitting right next to me, his left side brushing my arm, and I don't venture to move. He shifts a little to face me and holds his right arm in front of me. Suddenly, I'm enveloped in his scent, and he smells so fucking good I just want to lick him. I clear my throat in a vain attempt to stay focused but when I look at him from the corner of my eye, I notice the cocky smile on his lips again. He doesn't mention it, though.

"I had this one done years ago," he explains as I look at the tattoo on his forearm, and I'm astounded by the brutality of the design. It's positioned halfway between his elbow and his wrist, and the design makes it appear like his skin was cut all around the arm. A small band of flesh is apparent, and the skin on both sides seems to be held together by several little safety pins. I've never seen such a realistic tattoo, it's remarkable. I stare at his arm for the longest time, observing all the details, and fighting the urge to run my finger along the pretend wound.

"It's amazing," I state in wonder.

"It was during a trip to Los Angeles," he continues. "We went on vacation there, with Jasper," he adds, and I instantly notice the sudden pained undertone to his voice.

"You cared a lot about him, huh?" I ask unthinkingly. The second the words are out, I wonder if maybe I overstepped. We're not exactly friends, and this is a personal subject.

"I still do," he admits sadly. "And now I have to deal with him being with my sister. You know, I just don't want to fight with her," he says oddly evenly, taking his arm back from in front of me and leaning to grab his beer on the coffee table. "If I call her, we'll probably fight, because I'm mad at her. But I don't want to fight, not with her."

"I understand," I admit reassuringly; and I would drop the topic if there wasn't a detail that he needs to know about, soon. Since we're already talking and we're getting better at being nice to each other, I might as well tell him now. "Edward, you should probably call her before this weekend," I add hesitantly, and he head snaps up in my direction.

"Why?" He asks nervously.

"I'm not the one who's supposed to tell you this," I stall, but the look in his eyes tells me that it's too late for me not to reveal that information. "Your parents know you're back."

"Fucking Christ! When is this going to end?" He yells, jumps from the couch and starts pacing in the living room. He runs his hand through his hair, and I realize that he does it every time he's upset.

"I'm sorry," I murmur uncomfortably, because I don't know what else to say or do.

"Don't be," he reassures immediately, sitting back on the couch, where he was when I arrived. He sighs and smiles at me softly, silently letting me know that he has no intention to fight with me over that problem. I relax instantly and smile back at him.

"Why this weekend specifically?" He asks curiously, finally putting the pieces together.

"Esme's expecting you for dinner Saturday night. She invited all of us, as a matter of fact."

"All of us?" He inquires surprisingly, probably not knowing who I am referring to.

"Well, you, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, me, and Rose, too."

"Fucking A!" He sighs again, dropping his chin to his chest. "You care a lot about Alice, don't you?" He suddenly asks, throwing my words back at me and raising his gaze to me again.

"I do. She's like a sister to me," I answer earnestly.

"Can you tell her I'll be there, and that we'll talk then?" He looks at me pleadingly, and I recognize the same begging expression I've seen so often in Alice's eyes and that I can't say no to.

"Sure, no problem," I accept and he just nods. We stay silent for a few moments; I really enjoy talking to him without fighting, but I still feel self-conscious around him, not knowing what his opinion of me is. At some point he stands up, walks to the kitchen to throw his beer bottle in the trash, and comes back to the living room.

"I'm going to bed. Good night," he says tiredly and walks past me.

"Good night," I answer.

He walks out of the living room and I stay there, taking another sip of my beer. I send a text to Alice immediately, informing her that Edward will be there this weekend, and another to Rose to invite her. She accepts instantly, and she seems really excited about it.

I am, too; but on the other hand, it might be a little tense, considering that Edward is mad at both Alice and Jasper; Emmett and Rosalie seem to be avoiding each other; and my relationship with Edward is still awkward and weird.

This should be fun.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!**_

_**And as usual, a huge thank you to theotherbella who is the best beta out there!**_

_**I'm sorry it took me a little bit longer to update this time, I had to deal with chickenpox (not me, but still!) Next update in a few days!**_

_**Please, please review! **_


	8. Fitting in

**Chapter 8 – Fitting in**

**EPOV**

Thank fuck it's Friday.

My new job is really wearing me out, especially considering I've been working twice as hard, and trying to make a good impression on my first week. I came home completely exhausted every single day for the past week. I desperately need to sleep.

When I'm finally back to the apartment, Bella doesn't seem to be here. There isn't a sound, no lights. The place is really neat, though; she must have cleaned. I feel a little guilty that I haven't done anything to keep the place tidy since I came back.

I walk to my bedroom to get undressed; I'm so exhausted I intend to go to bed right away. As I pass by her room, I notice the soft ray of light coming from under her door; she is in fact already home, and I wonder if she's asleep yet. The idea of knocking on her door flashes through my head. I'm a little saddened that she might still think she has to avoid me: that I want to live as if she wasn't there. The truth is it's been really pleasant talking to her these past few days. I decide not to disturb her, though, and go straight to my room.

Something has definitely changed in the way she talks to me since the fight we had last week. I recognize I was pretty harsh; I went too far, but so did she. I can't help thinking about what she said, about her finding me attractive. I tried not to pay too much attention to it at first, because she was drunk; but from the way she's been acting around me, it seems to be something that isn't induced by intoxication only. Then again, she also said I was an asshole, and confirmed it the next morning. But since that day, she's been really nice to me, she even apologized (well kind of, but it's a start) and it doesn't seem to be an effort for her. I don't know what clicked in her head that made her change so drastically, but I'm glad it did.

It doesn't help the boner I get every time I see her, though. On top of the sexy secretary outfits she wears every day, now I have her hungry eyes, her faint blush and her velvety voice to complete my little fantasy. It was easier not to want her when she was a bitch.

I go to bed and bury myself under the covers, ready to get some sleep; and I try not to think about the dinner at my parents tomorrow. Alice sent me a text this morning telling me how happy she was that I'd be there, so I guess Bella must have told her. I still can't see how I'll handle being in front of everyone at the same time. I'll have to face Alice and Jasper, together; and I had no idea Bella was close enough to my family to be invited.

Some part of me is dreading this dinner, the other part is actually happy to see my parents. It's another step to get my life back on the right track.

I wake up the next morning feeling like I've slept for an entire day, completely rested; I look at the clock and it's in fact already past 3pm. I put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt and walk to the kitchen. On my way, I find Bella in the living room, watching TV. I unconsciously slow down and eventually stop to look at her. She's lounged on the couch, her arms above her head, wearing a little black dress that hugs her tiny waist and shows just enough cleavage for my dick to grow hard in a split second. It amazes me how this girl turned me into a horny teenager who can't control himself; honestly, I kind of like it, especially after what I've been through. I fight the urge to ravage her here and now as I watch her from the waist down. Her dress is loose-fitting at the bottom and rises to mid-thighs; her slim legs seem so soft and silky my hands are itching to touch them. Her feet are perched on the coffee table, and she's wearing high heels pumps, with just a thin strap around her ankles. The only way those legs could look better is locked around my waist as I thrust into her.

"Hi," she says with a smug smile on her lips, bringing me back to Earth. She evidently caught me staring, and I smile at the idea that none of us seem to be able to stop ogling the other.

"Hi," I answer hesitantly, suddenly very self-conscious about the hard-on in my pants. I hastily move to the kitchen to drink my coffee and calm myself.

"I thought about waking you up, we're supposed to leave in half an hour," she calls out from the living room.

"Shit, that's right," I exclaim. I'd completely forgotten that we were supposed to go to my parents. Apparently my brain got sidetracked by seeing Bella so fuckable on my couch.

I finish my coffee in the kitchen, not wanting to stay next to Bella if I can't control my dick; which seems rather difficult around her. I take a cold shower to appease my erection and quickly get ready. When I walk back to the living room I notice a bag in the entrance, which she certainly packed. She must detect my hesitation and answers without me having to ask the question.

"We always sleep over when we go to your parents', even though it's not that far away. Esme's Sunday morning breakfasts are the best," she explains with a huge smile. She has a really pretty smile, and I like the way her eyes are sparkling at the idea. I never would've imagined seeing her so cheerful only a week ago; she's a totally different person, it seems. And she's fucking glowing.

"Ok. Do you do that a lot?" I ask, suddenly realizing that she must in fact be really close to my family, and not only Alice.

"Once every two or three months, for the past three years," she answers almost apologetically.

This weekend hasn't even really started yet and I already feel uncomfortable. I have no idea how to find my place back in my own family, and knowing that new people came around and that I have to win them over too makes it even worse.

I go back to my room, grab some clothes for tonight and tomorrow and put them in a bag. I walk back to the kitchen, needing another coffee to calm my nerves, even though I know it'll have the opposite effect. I drop my bag next to Bella's on my way, and my mind registers she's not on the couch anymore only a second before I enter the kitchen; and it's a second too late. In my haste I bump into her as soon as I pass the doorway, nearly making both of us fall. She was already bent over when I came in behind her, so she grabs the counter in front of her for support as I grip her hips to steady myself. We both freeze in that position, her ass pressed against my crotch as I'm hanging on to her hips. In my brain I instantly see myself fucking her that way, and my cock reacts instantly.

I hear her gasp as she must feel it, and I release her quickly to move away. She stands up straight but keeps her back to me for a while, her hands on her stomach. I have no idea what she's thinking, or why she doesn't turn to look at me.

"Bella…," I call, and for some reason my voice comes out low and raspy. She still doesn't turn, though, so I move around her, effectively forcing her to face me. She lifts her gaze to mine, biting her lower lip, and my cock grows rock hard at the expression in her eyes. Her brown stare is locked on mine, burning with pure lust; it's unbelievably fucking sexy. There's no doubt left in my mind that she's attracted to me, she's turned on by me, and I love it. She obviously just had the same dirty thoughts I did; she wants it, too. Fuck, her eyes are practically begging for it, right now. I take a step closer to her, my body brushing against hers; I can't assess whether this is a wise idea, but at this point I want her so fucking badly I just can't control anything anymore.

I'm about to lift her off the floor and crash her against the wall when my brain vaguely registers voices coming from behind the front door. Bella breaks eye contact just when we hear the front door open and Alice calling out to us, followed by other voices. Bella swiftly moves back, and casts her eyes to the floor.

"I dropped the towel, I was just picking it up," she says coyly as a way of explaining what she was doing in that position in the first place; and exits the kitchen without another look in my direction. I pick up the towel, put it on the counter and take a deep breath, trying to calm down and brace myself for the stressful weekend ahead of me. I need to determine what the fuck just happened between Bella and me, because this woman is driving me completely crazy. But first I have to deal with all the issues with my family, and Jasper.

I hear everyone talking and laughing in the entrance, and a knot forms in my stomach. I don't know how to act with Alice, and even more so with Jasper. I walk out of the kitchen and join them.

"Hi everyone," he offers awkwardly, not looking at anyone in particular.

"Hi," Alice answers sadly, but doesn't move towards me, so I just keep my eyes down and remain immobile.

"Alright let's go. Who's driving?" Bella asks enthusiastically, and I force myself not to look at her, afraid that my body will betray me in front of everyone.

"I think I can fit everyone in my Hummer," Emmett answers, visibly proud of his car. I start feeling ill-at-ease, I can't handle being in a car for half an hour with Alice and Jasper, and Bella after the little episode in the kitchen. This is just too much.

"I'm going to take my car, I think," I state in a tone that I intend casual, but comes out awkward again.

"You sure?" Emmett asks, and he does sound casual.

"Yeah," I assure him as I grab my bag on the floor and move to the door. They follow me to the elevator, and we walk to the parking lot, the girls chatting incessantly and the guys remaining silent. Jasper stays as far away from me as possible, and I'm certain he's doing it on purpose. This weekend isn't starting well. Alice, Jasper and Bella follow Emmett to his car, and I see Rosalie walking next to me. I stop and look at her questioningly.

"I'm coming with you," she simply answers in a firm voice, and I don't argue. She might be the only person in this group I don't feel uncomfortable with. We drive in silence for a few minutes before she starts taking in a relaxed tone.

"Why did you want to take your car?" She asks curiously, but there's a slight edge to her voice, revealing she already knows the answer; no need to lie to her.

"Because I'm avoiding having to speak to Alice, I haven't talk to Jasper in 4 years, and talking to Bella is…" I answer earnestly, and trail off at the end, unsure of how to describe my relationship with Bella.

"What?" She inquires, this time truly waiting for me to clarify, except I can't.

"I have no fucking clue what it is, but it's not simple, that's for sure," I joke half-heartedly. I can't possibly tell Rosalie that I find her friend so fucking attractive I get an erection every time we're in the same room.

"It's not simple precisely because you're not talking to Bella. You should," she answers cryptically. Again, she sounds as if she already had the answer to my predicament. I'm not sure whether her external point of view allows her to see things more clearly, or whether it's caused by something Bella revealed to her. Either way, I can't ask.

"Why did you get in the car with me?" I inquire, shifting the conversation to her.

"I had sex with Emmett last week and haven't talked to him since," she answers openly, not being ashamed about it in the slightest. Her blunt honesty is refreshing; I understand why Bella would like her so much.

"That's a pretty good reason," I chuckle, and suddenly something hits me. I've been so focused on Bella's flirtation and Alice that I completely forgot one thing she said the night she was drunk.

"Bella said you offered her to move in with you, when she was drunk. We haven't talk about it since, I don't know if it's true," I start.

"I have the keys to my apartment next weekend, she can come with me. We haven't talked a lot about it either, actually," she explains.

"That's great," I answer meekly. The more we approach my parents' house, the more nervous I become, and less capable of focusing on the conversation. Rosalie laughs softly next to me, and starts speaking before I can ask.

"Edward, you're obviously very nervous; it's just dinner, you know. You'll survive," she offers in what must be the equivalent of nicely for her; her voice is cold and firm, but you can tell she means well.

"I didn't tell my parents I was back, or that I broke off my engagement, or for what reasons. I feel like shit," I reply honestly, and it's a relief to voice my remorse.

"Take tonight as an opportunity to come clean," she advises as if it was the easiest thing to do.

We both remain silent for the rest of the drive to the outskirts of Seattle, until I park in the driveway of my parents' house.

"Fuck, that's a big house," she exclaims, her face however not betraying her amazement.

"Dad's a surgeon, mom's a shrink," I give as explanation, keeping my tone as casual as her expression.

"That explains it," she answers, and smiles widely at me.

We walk to the house, meeting the others on our way; my mother is waiting for us at the front door and her eyes light up as soon as she sees me. My heart breaks a little; I've really missed her very much. She greets us one by one as we enter, taking everyone in her arms, and Bella and Emmett seem to be in fact part of the family. I come in last, and hold my mom in my arms for a long moment; the strange feeling of being a little boy again, protected and safe, overwhelms me, and I hug her even closer. I never imagined I'd need that as an adult, and now I grasp how wrong I was.

"Edward, it's good to see you," she says softly as she pulls back from my embrace, looking at me proudly. For a second, I'm not sure what makes her so proud, right now.

"You, too, mom," I start sheepishly. "Listen, I'm sorry for not coming sooner," I continue but she cuts me off.

"I don't need to hear any of that," she answers dismissively. "You're here now, that's all that matters," she reassures me and turns to the others. "Alright, guys outside, girls with me in the kitchen," she orders. "If you thought I was going to cook for eight people all by myself, you're clearly mistaken, ladies." She pushes me down the hallway, and Alice, Rosalie and Bella disappear in the kitchen before any of us can intervene.

I follow Emmett and Jasper to the back of the house where my dad is waiting for us, a beer already in hand. They move confidently through the house, and it feels weird that they seem to be home, as if it was their house. I guess it has been theirs more than mine these past few years.

"Edward, still alive? That's great news!" My dad exclaims, pulling me into a big hug as I walk outside.

He retrieves a beer in the cooler and hands it to me before doing the same for Emmett and Jasper; and they all start talking casually. My dad acts with me as if I was here yesterday, undoubtedly to make me feel at ease. But Jasper is doing the exact opposite; he keeps talking to my father and Emmett, completely ignoring me. Emmett makes big efforts to include me in the conversation, talking mostly about sports, and asking me a lot about soccer and other sports more famous in France than here. Every time I open my mouth, I see Jasper rolling his eyes or clenching his jaw, and it's starting to really annoy me. At some point, he cuts me off mid-sentence to change the subject, and I snap.

"What the fuck is wrong, Jas? Does it bother you that much that I'm talking to my father?" I almost yell at him, startling everyone. He chuckles sarcastically and shakes his head before answering.

"If you really wanted to talk to your dad, you could've picked up your phone sometime in the last six months," he counters disdainfully.

"Fuck you! I don't owe you anything," I spit back, putting my beer bottle down and stepping closer to him.

"You owe them an explanation, an apology even," he yells back at me, ignoring my father asking us to settle down. "You blew everyone off because of some chick, and now you act like nothing happened?" He asks incredulously.

"I don't remember blowing you off. You did that to me," I retort, yelling even louder, and ignoring my father as well. "And what explanation do you want to hear, exactly? That I got fucking hurt, that I feel like shit? That she was just a whore and I only realized that when I saw her being fucked by someone else? I know it's burning your lips, Jas. Now, come on, say it."

"I fucking told you so," he yells at me and I throw my fist at him, hitting him square in the face. He's about to punch me back, but Emmett grabs him by the shoulders and my father pushes me backwards, his hands flat on my chest. The women must have heard us as they all run to us in the patio.

"Edward, go inside, now," my mother orders, and I know I have no choice but to obey.

"Get your shit together, boys, I won't have this in my house," my father adds. "You'll sort out your issues some other time."

I walk back inside feeling bad for making a scene the first time in months I come to my parents'. Jasper was asking for it, though, he provoked me. I 'm about to enter the kitchen, but Alice stops me, blocking me with her frail body.

"Can we talk?" She asks sternly.

"Now?" I reply rather harshly, and she arches an eyebrow at me.

"You just punched my man; I think you owe me this," she dares me to refuse her. My stomach churns when I hear her call Jasper "her man", but I realize that the simple fact of admitting it in front of me shows how much she cares about him, and about fixing the situation.

"Fine," I concede with a sigh. We walk to the library to have some privacy, I made enough of a scene for tonight; and we sit down on one of the couches, facing each other. She looks very sad, and I know I won't stay mad at her for long.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I start, trying hard not to yell at her.

"You weren't there," she counters immediately. "You and Jasper wouldn't talk to each other. At first, I didn't know if it would last between us, so there was no need to tell you. And the more time passed, the harder it became to broach the subject. I should have told you, though. I'm sorry."

"Yes, you should have. Alice, it's true that I wasn't there, but you have to realize something," I explain as evenly as possible, because she has to understand where I'm coming from. "I never blew anyone off; everyone ditched me because you all hated Laurie. I couldn't talk to any of you; you weren't interested if it involved her. Nobody wanted to hear about how my life was with her; as if I didn't have the right to be happy while I was with her. To all of you it didn't even matter that I was. That's why I never called."

"I'm sorry. We just thought we'd leave you to make your own mistakes. She wasn't the right girl for you, Edward, and it was just too hard to pretend," she explains sadly.

"It wasn't your choice to make," I reply in a pained voice. "And without admitting it was Jasper – if you were so scared of my reaction – you still could've told me you moved out and let someone else live in my apartment. It's my place, Alice, for fuck's sake!" I sigh, shaking my head at her. "I don't understand you. And honestly, I probably wouldn't have been happy about you dating Jas, but I would've never done to you what you all did to me," I state reproachfully.

"Then don't. Please," she uses my words against me, her eyes watering with tears and her lips turning into a pleading pout. I take a deep breath and release it loudly; I can't refuse her anything. Maybe I have reasons to stay mad at her, but I've been through enough drama for the past few months; I just want some peace.

"If you're happy with him and he treats you well, then I'm happy for you," I compromise, "but don't expect us to be friends again. He hasn't acted like one for years."

"I love you," she cries, launching herself in my arms and holding me as tight as she can.

"I love you, too," I answer, hugging her close to me. We stay there for a few minutes before walking back to the kitchen where everyone has gathered. Alice enters first and I freeze in the doorway, watching the family portrait in front of me. Alice runs to Jasper to help him with the black eye I apparently gave him, holding a frozen steak to his face. I can't help but chuckle, he had it coming; but he hears me and throws me a death glare. It seems there might be a second round, and if he comes at me, I'm ready for it. Emmett is helping my mom retrieve the good plates from the top cupboard. They seem really close, almost like mother and son, and my heart pinches. I really missed out on a lot of things, because of a girl who wasn't worth it. I notice him throwing quick glances at Rosalie every two seconds, yet she's completely oblivious. She and Bella are baking cookies together and my dad keeps leaning over them to steal a few chocolate chunks. Bella laughs loudly every time he does, and Rosalie pretends to elbow him in the ribs.

"Cut the crap, Carlisle", she warns playfully. "I'm not as nice as Bella, I won't let you ruin the cookies."

My father bursts out laughing, and swiftly steals another chunk. He winks at Bella who smiles widely at him and winks back. I find myself being a little jealous of the evident bond between them, especially since I haven't got so much as a look from her since she walked out of our kitchen earlier. She seems to belong here, just like the rest of them. To be honest, I'm the only one who doesn't fit in. I feel a little left out, so I lean on the doorway and observe them a little longer.

"Come on, Edward," my father yells, bringing me out of my musings. "The girls are mean to me and you just stand there. Come and defend your old man."

"You don't mess with the cookies, dad," I joke, and they all laugh. I join them and we all finish preparing dinner together. I move around the kitchen, following my mother's directives; and every time I pass by Bella, I fight the urge to imitate my father and steal some chocolate chunks, just to win that cute fucking wink from her.

I never thought I'd crave her attention so much. I never imagined my main preoccupation would turn out to be Bella's eyes on me, nor can I understand why.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Thank you so much to all of you for reading and reviewing (and a big hug to the guest reviewers I can't reply to!) and also to my amazing beta theotherbella! **_

_**Second part of the weekend in the next chapter...a lot of things is going to happen at the Cullens, I had to make it into two chapters! What do **_**you**_** think is going to happen, btw? ;)**_

_**Review and tell me!**_


	9. Rebound

**Chapter 9 – Rebound**

**EPOV**

_I join everyone in the kitchen and we all finish preparing dinner together. I move around the kitchen, following my mother's directives; and every time I pass by Bella, I fight the urge to imitate my father and steal some chocolate chunks, just to win that cute fucking wink from her. _

My mother puts Emmett and me in charge of setting the table. It makes me smile that she'd trust such a huge man with her fine china, even though the sole purpose of it is to keep him away from the food. He's a really funny guy, easy to talk to, and somehow he manages to make me feel comfortable in my own home.

As soon as we're finished, they all join us in the dining room and take a seat at the table. Bella comes in last and ends up sitting next to me as it's the only spot left, with Rose at her other side. My parents are at each end of the table, and Emmett is across from me, next to Jasper and then Alice. I can sense Alice's unease as Jasper seems to overplay his affection to her right in front of me, and I do my best to not pay attention to it. Emmett is again the only one except for my parents who talk to me. Between each sentence, he throws a glance at Rosalie, who's either completely oblivious to his obsession or very effective at ignoring him. At some point he realizes I caught it and panic flashes in his eyes. I smile at him reassuringly, because I have no intention of making any comment about it, and he nods in appreciation.

Throughout the entire dinner, Bella barely looks at me and she doesn't talk to me either. I have no idea whether she's avoiding me on purpose, or if she's just indifferent. The uncertainty is unsettling. She's very at ease amongst my family, making crude jokes with Emmett, and eliciting a loud laugh from my dad. She seems so carefree and laid back. She truly isn't a bitch at all. I must have looked at her insistently, because Emmett suddenly kicks me under the table. I swiftly turn my gaze to him and he gives me the same knowing look we exchanged minutes ago about Rosalie, along with a playful smile. I wasn't aware I was staring at her the same way he does with Rose; and I don't want to think about what it could mean.

We're both startled out of our silent exchange when my father asks me if I've found a job yet.

"I did, actually," I answer proudly, and from the corner of my eye I notice Bella's content smile. It takes me a second to understand, but it hits me that she was the only who knew; and she seems rather pleased with it.

"What do you do, actually?" Emmett inquires between two bites.

"I'm a financial analyst for an investment bank," I answer hesitantly, accustomed to most people finding my job boring.

"No shit? I'm a financial lawyer," he yells enthusiastically. "Dude, we have so much in common."

"Apparently," I answer, and I see in his expression he understands instantly that I'm referring to the girls. Jasper is visibly bothered that we get along so well. I give him my best cocky grin; this is turning into a pissing contest, and I kind of enjoy it. Soon we'll be fighting over whose dick is bigger; and having shared a room with him in college, I know for a fact that mine is.

"Wasn't it hard to work in the same field in France?" Emmett asks, not caring that it could be a sore subject for me. Truthfully, I appreciate it; tiptoeing around me only makes me feel pathetic.

"No, not really," I explain evenly. "The big firms hire a lot of English speakers, for all the international transactions. Plus, I'm fluent in French, so it was never an issue."

"You are?" Bella asks in surprise, her head turning to me in a flash. I look at her, and finally I recognize the hungry stare I got from her so many times lately, and that I've missed all day long.

"Of course," I reply in a low voice, boring my eyes into hers, "it never occurred to you?"

We keep our gaze locked on each other for probably too long, because I get another kick from Emmett. I break the spell as I realize the whole table is staring at us, and take a sip of my wine nonchalantly. Bella drops her eyes to her plate and Emmett unaffectedly resumes the conversation about work. At some point, we lose the rest of the table as it centers on financial markets and becomes rather technical. I enjoy having someone to talk to that actually understands what I'm talking about.

Jasper clearly doesn't like it, though. He keeps stirring the conversation to the new wing for Seattle's hospital where my dad works, since the project could be granted to Jasper's architectural firm. I don't let him know that my bank is in charge of studying the investment project, and possibly granting the loan. He's making this way too easy for me.

Bella talks to everyone at the table except me, and now I'm certain she's doing it deliberately. Maybe I'm just flattering myself, but I begin to think that she'd rather not look at me because she can't control her attraction to me any more than I can to her.

When our plates are empty, everyone helps clearing the table, and before we get back for dessert, I decide to head to the bathroom. I walk down the hallway and I see Bella come out of the very room I'm looking for. It's the first time since we arrived that she's looking me in the eye, and I have to admit I'm a little disappointed that she sounds so casual.

"How's your hand?" She asks lightly, gesturing to the fist I hit Jasper with.

"It hurts a little, but it's ok," I answer, cringing when I ball my hand into a fist.

"That was quite a punch," she comments, obviously impressed. There's nothing rewarding about hitting my (former) best friend, but I can't help but feel a little smug at her reaction. It intensifies with the hint of desire I notice in her gaze, and I struggle not to let my eyes roam over her body in that dress.

"Thanks," I answer smugly. She smiles and starts to move but I stop her. In that moment, I can't explain why but I desperately want her to look at me with that lust filled stare that drives me crazy. We spent the entire evening pretending that there's nothing between us, probably for my family's benefit. But now we're alone, and I need that connection with her, even though I don't really know what it is.

"Bella?" I say softly, looking down at her. She doesn't answer, but she stops and lifts her eyes to mine. "You look stunning in that dress," I offer earnestly, and she chuckles.

"How much did you have to drink?" She laughs, and I'm relieved we can joke about her drunken confessions naturally, even though I don't really feel like joking right now.

"Not enough to say things I wouldn't want to," I answer seriously, and the smile on her lips turns from playful to smug. "And you look fucking stunning in that dress," I continue slowly, dropping my voice suggestively.

She still doesn't say a word, but she gives me the naughty look I was hoping for. I take a step closer to her, and she doesn't move.

"Do you know what hurts my hand even more than the punch?" I ask in a low voice, taking another step towards her, my body inches from hers. She looks at me from under her lashes, biting her lip and waiting for me to continue. "Not being allowed to touch you," I confess, forcing myself to keep my hands at my sides. She closes her eyes for just a second, her breath speeding up a little.

"Who said you weren't allowed to?" She asks seductively, and she's the fucking sexiest woman I've ever met, bar none.

"You sure as hell didn't," I answer, taking another step, effectively forcing her to step backwards inside the bathroom. "I see the way you look at me, the way I make you blush sometimes. It's driving me crazy," I admit, and right on cue a soft pink colors her cheeks. Her eyes never leave mine, her stare becoming more erotic each second; she's making me lose control. I put my hands on her hips and softly push her against the bathroom wall, keeping my body against hers, and I know she can feel how hard I am. She puts her hands on my arms and I'm about to lose it when she lifts her leg and hooks her knee on my hip.

"It _is_ true, then?" She asks breathlessly, and I'm almost panting, too.

"What is?" I ask, sliding my hand to her knee and grazing my fingers back up her thigh painfully slowly, pushing her dress on my way, until I reach her lace-covered ass.

"That you want to fuck me hard," she says with a sinful smile on her lips, and I lose it completely. Her word elicits a low growl in my throat as I tighten my grip on her and press my dick against her. I fight the urge to tear her underwear apart and take her savagely, because I'm really fucking enjoying playing this little game with her.

"Fuck, yes," I whisper as I graze my lips against hers, touching but not kissing yet. "Do you want it, Bella? Do you want me to fuck you hard?" I breathe heavily; I have my answer as she moves her hips and shamelessly grinds against my cock.

We both jump in shock when my mother calls out to Bella in the hallway. I quickly push away from her just as the door opens; my heart is beating so fast I think I might have a heart attack. My mother looks at Bella suspiciously, and if a look could kill when she turns to me, I'd be dead.

"Bella, sweetie, can you go help Alice in the kitchen, please?" She asks, her voice kind but her death glare never leaving me.

"Sure," she whispers hesitantly before exiting the room without another word or look in my direction.

"Mom, I –" I start awkwardly, but she cuts me off immediately.

"Shut up, Edward," she orders firmly, and I close my mouth. "I'm only going to say this once. I adore Bella, so if you use her as rebound sex and she gets hurt, I'll have your father kick your ass so thoroughly you won't be able to fuck anyone, hard or otherwise, for a very long time." She doesn't even yell, but her tone is the most menacing thing I've ever heard. "Am I clear?" she asks as I don't answer, frozen in shock, and to be honest, fear.

"Yes, mom," I answer sheepishly like a five-year old who's just been scolded.

"Good. Time for dessert." She simply adds before walking out.

I remain in shock for I don't know how long, trying to get my breathing and my heartbeat back to normal. It takes me a few moments to register what my mom said, exactly. I don't which part is the most traumatizing; that she heard what I said to Bella, or that she threw those words back at me. I think I might need fucking therapy.

Her words resonate in my head…use her as rebound sex…is that what I'm doing? It never occurred to me, and clearly it should have. I try to erase those words from my head, but I can't. I splash some water in my face, and eventually calm down a little.

I walk back to the living room, avoiding my mother's eyes in shame. The moment I sit down in front of him, Emmett shoots me a look. I guess it must be evident that I'm in shock, and I try my best to smile reassuringly at him. He doesn't seem to believe me, though. We all eat our dessert in an awkward silence, everyone suspecting that something is wrong. Bella doesn't raise her eyes from her plate and she's clearly uncomfortable to the point that even Alice and Rosalie are watching her suspiciously. It hits me then that there's a possibility she heard what my mother said to me, and she could in fact believe that I'm using her. I've been a jerk to her the first day I came back, and now I'm practically jumping her. Since I have no clue what I'm doing either, I really can't blame her.

The atmosphere is still awkward when dinner's over. Everything has been cleaned, and everyone agrees that it's time to go to bed. We all remain silent as my mother informs us of the sleeping arrangements. Alice will sleep in her room with Jasper, as usual, and I'm glad he doesn't dare look at me. He's not enough of a jerk to use my little sister against me in our little contest. Bella and Rosalie will share the guest room, and I'll share my room with Emmett. My first instinct is to be glad about it, because I know it'll piss Jasper off; but it fades instantly when I realize that he figured out something was wrong, and I can't possibly explain it to him since he's Bella's friend.

Everyone says good night and walks to their respective rooms; Emmett enters first and turns to me as I close the door.

"That's lame, dude. I used to sleep in your bed and now all I get is the air mattress," he jokes, probably trying to lighten my mood, in vain. I try to smile at him, but I can't fool him, he's fully aware of how nervous I am. "Alright, what's up?" He asks in a sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Nothing," I answer meekly and he raises an eyebrow at me. "I can't talk about it," I concede.

"It's about Bella," he says, and it's not a question.

"Which is why I can't talk about it," I admit, because there's no point lying to him, he sees right through me, apparently.

"With me, you mean? Come on Edward, she'll probably tell me anyway. And from where I stand, you barely made up with your sister, you just punched your best friend; looks like I'm all you got." he says with a smile, and I know he won't leave me alone until I talk. Plus he's right, I have no one else I can talk to, and it could help to have some one's opinion.

"Bella and I are attracted to each other," I start, dragging the chair in the middle of the room to sit in front of him. I'm dreading his reaction, because there's a good chance he'll be very protective of Bella.

"No shit," he scoffs, and waits for me to continue. He saw the way I look at her, but he doesn't seem surprised that she's attracted to me, too. Like he said, she must have told him.

"We kind of made out earlier," I continue cautiously, "and my mother caught us." He bursts out laughing so loud I'm concerned the neighbors can hear him from down the street. His laugh is infectious, though, so I join him; it feels good to relax a little.

"You're not sixteen, man; it's not a big deal," he finally says when he settles down. My smile fades because I know the next part might really upset him. I take a deep breath before explaining to him what is actually troubling me.

"She assumed I was using Bella as rebound sex." I wait for him to get upset, maybe punch me, too; but he just stares at me for a long time.

"Ok, I'm going to say something, because it's my job," he starts seriously. "I'm twice your size. If you hurt Bella, I'll fuck you up," he threatens, and I believe him.

"Ok…"I reply hesitantly, not knowing whether it means the conversation ends here; but he keeps talking.

"Is it what you're doing with her?" He asks genuinely.

"I have no fucking idea," I sigh, running my hand through my hair nervously; because truly, I don't.

"My opinion is biased, here, because she's like my baby sister," he says calmly, and I'm a little surprised to see him so serious. He's not the enthusiastic guy I talked to earlier, he's sober and I recognize the lawyer he must be. "She looks like a tough girl, but she's been through some rough shit; she's fragile. You seem like a decent guy, Edward, I'm sure you don't want to hurt her. If you're not sure of what you're doing, just leave her alone," he advises, and it sounds like a favor he's asking. I assumed he'd be more menacing, but he's very understanding. He's very nice man, and obviously a great friend to Bella.

"Thanks," I answer sincerely, because I really appreciated talking to him. Even though I still don't know what is happening between Bella and me, talking to him was reassuring, somehow.

"No problem," he replies dismissively, standing up to change into his sweatpants.

"Now that I've spilled my guts, I'm curious about something," I continue, doing the same.

"Rosalie?" He says knowingly.

"Yeah. She told me about last week. Why are you guys avoiding each other?"

"Same thing," he sighs, raising his shoulders. "I don't know what the fuck is going on between me and that woman," he adds and we both laugh quietly.

"Maybe you should talk to her, figure it out," I offer.

"Maybe you should, too," he counters. We exchange a smile and don't say another word before we get to bed. I'm really glad I told him, even though it's still not clear in my head. It feels good to have someone to talk to.

We wake up the next morning and get ready without mentioning the girls again. We join everyone in the kitchen for the best breakfast I've had in years, and the awkwardness of last night has miraculously vanished. Every time Bella or Rosalie speak, Emmett and I exchange a knowing look, and I know I found a good friend in him. Rosalie explains that she'll move in her apartment the next weekend, with Bella. Yesterday she said they hadn't talked about it that much but now it sounds like a done deal, and I can't help but think it has something to do with what happened between us last night. As nice as it has been talking to her this past week, it's probably better that she moves out, effectively preventing us from doing something we might regret.

Everyone is eating and talking lightly, but in the corner of my eye I notice Jasper fidgeting in his seat, looking at me. I try to ignore him, hoping he won't start another fight, and I almost choke on my pancake when he finally speaks.

"Edward, can you pass the maple syrup, please?" He asks hesitantly. It takes me a few seconds to come down from my surprise; and we all look at him with wide eyes. Next to him Alice lets out a little squeal, immediately covering her mouth with her hands. I turn my gaze to her and her eyes are silently pleading me to accept his peace offering. I laugh quietly; I thought Bella's apology was half-assed, if this is his way of apologizing, he's even worse at it than her.

"Sure," I answer with a smile, handing the bottle to him. If he makes the first step to fix this, I'll never shoot him down.

The family resumes their conversation, and we finish breakfast in a good atmosphere. Yet I can't shake the distressing feeling caused by Bella ignoring me.

Too soon it's time to head back home. I hug my mother once more before walking to my car, and the rest of the gang follows me. Alice, Jasper and Bella move to Emmett's car, and Rosalie walks towards mine, like yesterday; but Emmett doesn't agree with this arrangement.

"No fucking way, I'm sick of this shit," he yells, startling everyone. "Bella, you go with Edward, and Rosalie, get your ass in my car!"

The girls watch him, dumbfounded. They stand frozen in place for a moment, not really knowing what to do, and watching the rest of the family laughing quietly. They exchange a look of incomprehension and eventually obey without saying a word.

"Smooth, man. Real smooth," I laugh as he raises his shoulder dismissively.

I get in my car as Bella takes the seat next to me; and I start driving. We remain silent for a few minutes; she looks uncomfortable and I don't know whether I just broach the subject of last night's bathroom session right away, or begin with light small talk. She starts talking first before I can decide.

"I heard what Esme said," she states evenly. Apparently she's not as reluctant as I am mentioning it.

"Bella, I don't …" I start explaining, but she doesn't let me finish.

"You don't need to say anything, Edward," she continues in the same tone, as if none of it mattered, anyway. "I'm moving out in a week, let's just make it through these few days and everything will be easier."

I'm not sure what she means; it'll be easier to figure out what's going on between us, or to just move away from it. I realize I'm scared to ask, so I don't. The silence quickly becomes suffocating; half an hour of this is going to be pure hell. I turn on the radio, pushing the volume loud enough for us to have a good reason not to speak. She doesn't relax, though, and keeps playing nervously with the hem of her jacket. It's the first time I see her so fragile; Emmett was right, and I don't like it. At this moment I wish she'd yell at me again, make a snappy comment, be the bitch she was only a week ago. But she doesn't.

We remain silent for the rest of the drive, until I park the car in the lot. We walk to the apartment without saying a word, and she goes straight to her bedroom.

"I'm going to lie down and read a book," she calls, but the discomfort seeps through her voice.

"Ok," I reply hesitantly. I'm not ok with it in the least, but I don't know what else to say. My mother's threats and Emmett's advice are spinning in my head; maybe the best thing I can do is in fact to leave her alone.

I watch her walk away from me, and once again I don't like the feeling. On top of thinking I wish she wasn't there, now she believes I was just using her to make myself feel better. It makes me sick she'd believe I could have that opinion of her, and I can't imagine spending the entire afternoon with her locked in her room.

Our situation has been fucked up since day one; it needs to be fixed, even if only for one week. I walk decidedly to her door and knock.

"Bella?" I ask in the softest voice I can manage.

"Yes," she answers as she opens her door with a small smile gracing her lips, but it's not very convincing.

"I want to start over," I state as she looks at me curiously. "Hi, my name is Edward Cullen," I start again, holding my hand out for her to shake. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Finally Edward made a move! :) Not nice being cock blocked by your own mother, though!**_

_**Thanks to my amazing beta theotherbella who literally saved this chapter!**_

_**Lots of kisses to all of you readers and reviewers!**_

_**I can't wait to see what to think of this chapter :) **_


	10. Right decision

**Chapter 10 – Right decision**

**BPOV**

We were finally back from the Cullen's house. Dinner with them has never been so tense and awkward; we usually spend a lovely, restful weekend, and it's all because of what happened between Edward and me.

Neither of us seemed to be able to control ourselves around the other. I'd never been so aroused by someone in my life and when he put his hands on me, I couldn't resist; I didn't want to. I was lost in the sensations he elicits in me, and I didn't stop a second to think about what it could mean; clearly I should have.

It hurt to hear Esme's comment, but she could be right. Edward's apparently been through a lot with his ex-fiancée, and there's a possibility he's using me as rebound. I can't blame him; he doesn't know me, I've been a bitch to him for days, and then I start hitting on him.

I'm not mad at him, though, I could tell he was as uncomfortable as I was after facing his mother, and during the entire ride home. I had to tell him I knew, it wouldn't be fair being distant without explaining why. I think he was going to apologize or something, but I cut him off because if he in fact was using me, I don't believe that he did it on purpose. It was so intense between us in the bathroom, I can't believe that he could fake it. I tried my best to sound casual, I don't want him to feel guilty if he had no bad intentions towards me. And if he did, I don't want him to think that it had an impact on me. Either way, I don't want to get stuck in the middle of his issues.

We enter the apartment and I need to be alone. I tell Edward that I'm going to my room and read a book; I don't know what else to say to him. I walk to my room, close the door behind me and slump down on my bed. My head is spinning, a lot has happened between us since yesterday. I don't know how to handle being in front of him for the next week, until I move out of here.

After only a minute, I'm startled out of my thoughts by a knock on my door.

"Bella?" Edward calls in a soft voice. I get up from the bed and open. He's standing there, his face determined as if he had made a big decision. Obviously it concerns me, and I wonder what it could be.

"Yes," I answer, eyeing him curiously and smiling at him tentatively.

"I want to start over," he states, and then holds his hand out for me to shake. "Hi, my name's Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you."

I stare at him dumbfounded for a second. I'm not sure what he's proposing exactly; whether he just wants to erase all the awkwardness between us caused by both our crappy behavior; or just erase everything we shared, no matter what it was. I'm a little saddened to consider it might be the latter.

"Edward, I don't understand," I answer and trail off, not really knowing how to react.

"Obviously we got off on the wrong foot, and we can't seem to be able to get things right," he explains, the hopeful smile on his face never faltering. "I'm just trying to make things easier, better. Let's face it, even after you move, we're bound to see each other again. So let's start over."

I realize that only having friends and his family in common motivates him to fix the situation with me. Using me as rebound sex obviously won't help him get his place back amongst his family; it will only make the situation between all of us even more awkward. He wants us to be only friends, apparently, and probably find some other girl for the sex part. Just thinking about it hurts more than I would've thought, for some reason, and it feels awfully close to jealousy.

"Ok," I answer, shaking the hand he was still holding out to me. "Hi, I'm Bella Swan; nice to meet you, too," I say, trying my best to sound as cheerful as him, and failing miserably.

"I'm going to grab a beer in the fridge and hang out in the living room. You want to join me?" he asks. He's making such an effort to reach out to me, it's heartwarming.

"Sure," I agree, following him in the living room, and I sit on the couch while he gets the beers before joining me. He opens the two bottles and hands me one as he sits on the couch next to me, leaning on the armrest so that he's facing me.

"How did you meet Alice?" He starts casually.

"At a bar, it was almost four years ago," I explain, and I really appreciate that he's trying to get to know me. "We fought over the last vacant table. I was alone waiting for Emmett, and she was waiting for Jasper. We decided to both sit down, and the first guy who would arrive would win the table. They both came in at the exact same time, so we spent the evening all together. We've been friends ever since."

"Sweet story," he comments with a genuine smile. "Were they already dating?" He asks referring to Jasper and Alice after hesitating a second, visibly uncomfortable.

"No, they were just friends at the time." He simply nods, and changes the subject.

"How did you end up living here?"

"It's a cliché story," I chuckle. "I had just broken up with my boyfriend and I needed a place. She wanted to move in with Jasper; it made perfect sense."

"Ok," he nods again and takes a sip of his beer, visibly thinking about what to ask next. "You work with Rosalie, but what do you do, actually?" He inquires, and he seems really interested, not just pretending.

"I'm Emmett's assistant," I simply answer, not going into too much detail. It's not that I don't enjoy talking to him, but his apparent detachment to what we shared this past day is upsetting.

He nods again and doesn't answer. We stay silent for a long moment, and I start to feel uncomfortable. Even if we try to act normally and get to know each other the way we should have from the start, we can't erase what happened, and what we said to each other. When he finally looks at me, I feel exposed and drop my eyes to the floor instinctively.

"Something wrong?" He asks worriedly. I keep my eyes on the beer bottle in my hands and sigh.

"Is this how it's going to be? We're just going to pretend that nothing happened?" I ask and I'm surprised by the disappointment and sadness I hear in my own voice.

"You're probably right," he sighs, resigned. "I'm sorry I was a jerk to you when I came back. I just wanted some peace and quiet, and I really wanted you out of here as soon as possible," he admits apologetically, looking me straight in the eye. "I realized the next morning that it wasn't fair to you, decided to give you some time, but you were still so bitchy," he doesn't sound reproachful, but the words hurt a little anyway; and this time it's my turn to nod without answering. "I know you're not actually like that, I've discovered an entirely different girl this past week. Why did you react that way?" He adds.

"Honesty, huh?" I reply, taking a deep breath before giving him the whole explanation; he deserves it. "My parents divorced when I was little. My mother's job required for her to travel a lot, and after a while we realized it wasn't the best for me; so I went to live with my father in Forks," I tell Edward as he keeps his eyes locked on me, and listens without interrupting. "His new wife didn't like me at all; she didn't want me in the house. Not only could I feel it in her behavior towards me, but after a couple of years she eventually told me that it wasn't my home. She couldn't wait for me to be old enough to move out. It lasted almost eight years, until I moved to Seattle for college."

"Fuck, I'm so sorry," he murmurs, running a hand through his hair. "I never wanted to make you feel that way."

"I know," I reply reassuringly. "I took it out on you even though the situation is totally different. I shouldn't have, I'm sorry," I apologize, the way I should have the first time, and it feels good to finally come clean. He pulls at his hair again, takes a big gulp of beer. I know he's nervous about the next thing he's about to say.

"I came home early one night, about three and a half months ago," he starts again, tearing the label off the bottle anxiously. "As soon as I walked through the door, I heard Laurie's voice. I knew instantly what was going on, but I had to see it. I walked to the bedroom, slammed the door open, and she was there, on all fours in our bed, with some guy fucking her from behind."

"Shit," I let out.

"That's not even the worst part," he chuckles sourly, lifting his eyes to me, "my wedding was supposed to be two weeks from today."

"Shit," I say again, because really, what else is there to say? And then something hits me. "Alice never mentioned it..."

"Nobody knows," he explains. "It took Laurie and me a while to choose a date, and when we finally did, I was actually afraid to invite my family, and that they wouldn't come."

"They would've been there, Edward," I assure him, but he doesn't answer right away.

"I've been so fucking stupid," he finally says after finishing his beer.

"I think you made the right decision coming back here, and you were right: you need some peace, you need to be alone for a while," I offer nicely. His head snaps up and from the look in his eyes, I know he understands instantly the hidden meaning of my sentence. Nothing more will happen between us; he needs to heal, and I don't want to be his rebound.

"I'm sorry that you have to move out," he says, and there's an edge to his sentence, something I can't quite put my finger on. He sighs loudly, and then smiles at me sweetly. "If it makes you feel any better, I would've kicked Alice out, too."

We laugh softly and stay silent for a while, both lost in our thoughts. He eventually proposes to turn on the TV and we stay together on the couch as he flips through the channels. We spend the rest of the day talking lightly, laughing, too. I'm glad that he made that step for us to have a real chance at being friends, even though in the pit of my stomach, I can't help but feel downhearted that it won't be more, whatever 'more' could've been.

It's already late, Edward has fallen asleep on the couch and two hours later he still hasn't woken up. I turn the TV off, and decide to wake him. If don't, he'll probably end up sleeping on the couch all night.

"Edward, wake up," I whisper as I crouch in front of him.

"Bella?" He asks drowsily, his eyes barely open.

"You fell asleep on the couch. You should go to bed."

He mechanically stands up, still half asleep, and starts walking to his bedroom. I follow behind him, ready to go to mine. I stop in front of my door and say good night, not even sure he'll hear me. But he does, and turns around to look at me for a long moment, his gaze lost in his thoughts.

"Good night," I repeat with a smile.

"I didn't even kiss you," he murmurs dejectedly, as if he regretted it. I don't know whether he's awake or not, nor how to react; so I just stand there, speechless. He takes a step towards me and I don't move, even though I know this is a bad idea. If he's half-unconscious, I shouldn't let him do this. If he's fully aware of what he's doing, I should stop him since we agreed a few hours ago that nothing would happen between us. But honestly, I don't want to stop him.

He takes another step and now he's mere inches from me. He leans closer, slowly, eyeing me carefully. The doubt I had vanishes; he's fully awake, evidently. He's giving me time to stop him, but I don't. He lifts his hand to my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair, and pulls my face closer to his. His lips ghost over mine and I close my eyes, losing myself in the electric current running through my entire body. He finally presses his mouth on mine, moving slowly, languidly, and I'm melting. My heart beat accelerates, my skin is burning up; I've never been kissed so sensually before, he's amazing. His lips move with mine, soft and tender, his tongue grazing my lower lips, urging me to open my mouth. The tip of his tongue caresses mine delicately, keeping this gentle rhythm for a few seconds before closing his mouth on mine. He stays immobile, his lips on mine, his hand knotted in my hair. When he finally pulls back he looks at me with a sad expression in his eyes.

"Goodbye," he whispers, and it takes me a second to grasp the finality of his choice of word. He didn't say 'good night'. Before I can react, he turns around and walks to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. I get in my room, close the door too, and sit down on my bed. I frantically turn in my head what just happened; the look in his eyes, his voice, and more importantly the way he kissed me. It felt more than just rebound; it had to mean more, too. Yet he said goodbye. A few hours ago I told him he should be alone, and now I feel like I could cry.

I barely sleep, tossing and turning in bed all night. When I wake up in the morning, Edward has already left, and I'm relieved; I get to work and just focus on my tasks for the entire day. As soon as I get off work, I go to the grocery store before it closes, and then get home. I put everything away, eat a snack and by the time I get to bed, Edward still isn't home yet. I don't know if he's avoiding seeing me; either way, it's probably best this way.

The next day is exactly the same, until the afternoon when I receive a text from Rose, which she apparently also sent to Alice.

_Bella's place, 8pm, I got gossip! ;)_

I've barely finished dinner when they arrive, right on time.

"Hi Bella," they both chime simultaneously as I open the door.

"Hi, girls," I sing back. I feel instantly better now that they're here, and my smile comes back naturally. "So, what is going on?" I ask as we move to the kitchen.

"I was at the office late last night," Rose starts while I pour three glasses of wine, and we go back to the living room to sit on the couch. "I actually got back to my hotel before realizing I had forgotten my cell phone on my desk, so I went back there. The building was practically empty, but there was still someone on our floor."

"Emmett?" Alice asks mischievously.

"No," Rose chides playfully. "So, I walk to my desk, get my phone, and then I hear weird noises coming from Jake's office," she tells in a suspenseful tone of voice.

"What kind of noises?" Alice inquires, completely engrossed in the story.

"The kind a slutty redhead would make when she's being fucked on a desk," she reveals excitedly.

"You're kidding?" I reply, astounded.

"No. The door was slightly open, so I peeked inside and saw Jake with Victoria."

"Did you take a picture?" Alice asks impatiently, and I can't help but cringe at the thought.

"Why would you want to see this?" I counter.

"Even better," Rose exclaims, ignoring my question. "I recorded it. Take a look." She starts the video on her phone and hands it to us. I know my eyes will probably burn from that vision, but I can't refrain from watching it. The video lasts for at least a minute, but she stops it after only a few muted seconds, luckily.

"I thought it might be useful to have that against her, just in case," she announces diabolically.

"You're the devil," Alice observes in awe.

"That guy is scum, seriously," I comment, shuddering at the thought that he tried to come on to me, too.

"I told you. I'm sending it to you girls, keep it safe," she informs us, concentrated on her phone.

"I'm not sure I want to have that video in my phone," I retort.

"What video?" Edward asks as he comes in the living room, surprising us as we didn't hear him come in. He quickly hugs Alice before taking off his jacket.

"My boss screwing our receptionist on his desk," Rosalie explains with a huge grin on her face.

"Nice. Can I see it?" He asks excitedly and walks to the other side of the coffee table towards Rosalie. I'm a little taken aback that he still hasn't looked at me since he entered.

"Sure," she says, turning her phone to show him.

"She's bendy," he comments appreciatively after watching for a few seconds, and I can't help but puff. Edward lifts his eyes to me, finally, and smiles widely, a glint of cockiness flashing in his eyes. "How are you doing, Bella?"

"Fine," I reply almost defensively, and his smile widens. He chuckles and takes another glimpse at the video before talking.

"Her hair looks weird. I like brunettes better, anyway." He winks at me, and walks out of the living room. "Good night, ladies."

"What the fuck was that about?" Alice's interrogative eyes are fixated on me. "Did I miss something?"

"What are you talking about?" I respond in a voice that I intend casual, but really isn't.

"Come on, Bella, what's happening between you two?" She asks again and turns to Rose. "Do you know anything?"

"I'm not answering that question," she replies, holding her hands in self-defense and shaking her head.

"Ok, I…" I start tentatively, not really knowing how to explain. "Nothing is happening between us anymore. I didn't tell you because you were upset that he wouldn't talk to you. I figured I'd wait until things were fixed."

"They are now. So what did happen?" She demands, my choice of words not evading her. I was hoping I could spend an evening without thinking about him, but I have to tell her. Plus, it might help to have their opinion.

"We talked last week, and I realized I was attracted to him. And he is to me, too. We kind of made out when we were at your parents this weekend," I confess, waiting for her reaction. She seems to take it pretty well, judging by the smile creeping on her face.

"That's why you were all weird when you came back from the bathroom," she understands immediately.

"Yes, your mother caught us and yelled at him for using me as rebound sex," I relate, flinching at the thought. "Anyway, we spent the afternoon together, just talking, when we came back. I told him what happened to me when I was younger; he told me what happened with his ex," I pause for a second and sigh. "I don't want to be a rebound girl. So we kind of agreed that this would end here, whatever it was."

"Really? Wow," she just answers pensively.

"You didn't see that one coming, either," Rosalie snorts, and Alice leans over me to playfully slap her on the arms. We all laugh and I wait for them to settle down to resume my tale.

"There's something else," I start again. "After we talked, he fell asleep on the couch, so I woke him and told him to go to bed. He looked sad, almost, and said that he didn't even kiss me."

"You made out but didn't kiss?" Alice interrupts, her brows furrowed.

"Well…" I answer uncomfortably, but luckily she cut me off.

"I don't want to know," she says shaking her hand. "What did you answer?"

"I didn't; he kissed me," I finish, waiting for their comments, because I truly don't know what to think of that kiss. It's been troubling me for the past two days.

"And then?" Rose inquires. Both of them are looking at me with their eyes wide in anticipation.

"Then, nothing. He said goodbye, and we haven't seen each other since, until just now."

"And he's flirting with you, and you're jealous when he makes a comment about some girl on a video," Rose points out.

"I'm not jealous," I just about screech defensively.

"Did you see your face?" Alice interjects.

"Anyway," I continue, not willing to admit that I was in fact jealous that he seemed to like what he saw. "He said he needed time alone; and in one week, he'll have all the time he wants. So nothing else is going to happen." They both remain silent for a second and then nod in acquiescence.

"I have something to tell you, too," Rose starts again awkwardly.

"You slept with Emmett again," Alice says matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious.

"No," she counters. "We just talked. Well, not exactly: he kind of yelled at me."

"He did? Why?" I ask, surprised that Emmett would go from confused to angry at her.

"After we dropped you off Sunday," she starts, motioning to Alice, "he drove me back to my hotel. He stayed in the car this time, but before I could get out, he started…not really yelling, but talking in a very stern voice. He said that he didn't appreciate how I was avoiding him, pretending that nothing happened; because it did happen and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He said that if I wanted to figure it out with him, he'd be waiting for me at his place, tonight," she says, and for the first time since we met I see her insecure.

"So what the fuck are you doing here with us?" I probe, and Alice nods enthusiastically next to me.

"There's a reason why I've been avoiding him, or even talking about it," she says and hesitates for a second. "I'm scared."

"Of what?" Alice yells.

"Of the way I feel when he's around. I'm scared of falling for him," she admits earnestly.

"Looks like it's already too late," I remark, looking at her straight in the eye.

"Shit," she yells, hiding her face behind her hands like a little girl, making Alice and I laugh quietly. She looks adorable right now.

"Get out of here, and go figure it out," Alice orders, still laughing. "Now."

She practically jumps from the couch without saying a word and runs out of the apartment. Alice and I keep laughing softly and then she turns to me.

"I'm going to go, too. Bella," she says, standing up and grabbing her purse. She walks to the door, but stops and turns back to me. "Edward's been through a lot, and I think you're doing the right thing, leaving him alone," she says affectionately.

I just nod and she hugs me before walking out of the apartment. I clear our glasses from the table and put them in the sink before going to my room and straight to bed. I know I won't sleep well again tonight as images of Edward flash before my eyes, and the sound of his voice resonates in my head. I still feel his lips on mine, his hands on my skin. I have to stay away from him, though, for both our sake.

Only one week left and it won't be a problem anymore. I can't wait to move out of this apartment.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Sorry for the late update, RL getting in the way again!_**

**_Thank you for all the reviews, you guys are awesome. Keep'em coming!_**

**_And thanks to theotherbella who is just as awesome!_**

**_So, finally a real conversation between those two...and the kiss...what did you think?_**


	11. The last night

**Chapter 11 – The last night**

**EPOV**

I get off work Thursday night earlier than usual. This job is still very demanding, and I came home rather late again this past week. I'm afraid Bella's going to think I'm avoiding her on purpose, but the truth is not seeing each other might be best, anyway. Especially considering that I still can't control myself around her. I really enjoy her reactions to even the smallest detail, way too much not to play with it.

As soon as I enter the apartment, I hear Bella moving around her bedroom, mumbling to herself.

"Bella?" I call from the entrance.

"In here!" She yells back from her room. I walk to her room and stop in the doorway, taken aback by the scene in front of me. She's surrounded by cardboard boxes, and the entire content of her closet has been spilled on the bed.

"I'm packing," she says, as if I needed an explanation.

"Do you need a hand?" I offer as I watch the mess she's made. She seemed so efficient when she moved her stuff from my room the first night; I don't understand how she could possibly be so disorganized, now.

"Yes, thanks," she sighs in relief. "Can you take all these books and put them in a box?" she asks, gesturing to the dozens of books piled up in the corner of the room.

"Ok. Just let me change and I'll be right back," I say before quickly going to my room and changing into a pair of loose jeans. I come back to her and obediently start the task she assigned to me. We pack in silence for a while, and I hear her sighing several times.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not even sure all my stuff is going to fit in my new bedroom," she says with defeat, and I can't help but feel responsible.

"I'm sure you can negotiate the master bedroom," I answer, trying to lighten her mood.

"Rosalie will get that one," she counters.

"She might not be there very often," I reply cryptically, waiting for her reaction before I reveal my information.

"How do you know?" She asks curiously, but the look in her eyes tells me she already knows what I'm talking about.

"I had lunch with Emmett today. He told me he and Rosalie talked a lot, and things were evolving," I divulge, and as I expected, she doesn't seem surprised at all; Rose must have told her already.

"Yeah, I'm sure they spent the last two nights talking," she retorts sarcastically.

"Probably not," I chuckle. "It still means that she'll probably sleep at his place quite often; which leaves the big room to you."

"That'd be great. After all, I'm used to living alone in some else's apartment," she jokes and we both laugh.

We remain silent for a while, moving around the room and getting everything organized in several boxes. I lift my eyes to her as she tries to retrieve her suitcase from the top shelf of the closet, and I freeze. She stands on the tip of her toes, stretching her arms as high as she can, her t-shirt rising and revealing the skin of her waist. My dick reacts instantly, as usual, and I want to touch her so badly that my body moves before my brain even realizes. In a split second I'm behind her.

"Let me help you out with that," I murmur as I put one hand on her lower back, grazing her warm skin with my thumb, and grabbing her suitcase with the other. She doesn't say anything but I feel the shiver running down her spine. I know I won't be able to stay focused if I don't quickly move away from her. I want to avoid being back to where we were last weekend, and having the same conversation with her that would again lead to her telling me that it's best if I stay alone. So I drop my hand from her skin and take a step back.

"What's next?" I ask casually, as she puts the empty suitcase on the bed and turns to me.

"There's only that dresser left, but…" she starts and I don't let her finish before opening the first drawer. The end of her sentence would've probably been for me not to open it, considering what was inside. I look at the contents and stay speechless in front of the different colors and fabrics of her underwear. I try my best to keep my dick in line as visions of her in those pieces of lace assail my mind, and turn to her with my best cocky smile. She's biting her lip nervously, probably waiting for me to say something.

"You saved the best for last," I comment playfully.

"I can do this one by myself, thank you," she answers sternly, but her smile widens and she's not moving from her spot.

"Are you sure? I'd be happy to help," I respond, looking into the drawer without restraint. I spot a set that draws my attention, pick it up and hold it in front of me.

"I didn't imagine you wearing that kind of pink fluffy stuff," I confess. And it's the truth, I've been picturing her a lot, and in my fantasies I never imagined her in that color.

"Stop it" she yells, finally moving and snatching it back from my hand. She's clearly not mad, though; it looks like she wants to play. "What did you imagine me wearing?" she asks, the lust back in full force in her gaze. Fuck, we're back to where we were last week, neither of us can help it.

"Only black, dark colors. A deep purple, maybe, but certainly not girly pink" I add mockingly, making her giggle; and I fucking love that sound.

"I have a lot of those, too, as you can see," she adds pointedly. "Now stop it," she says, pushing me away from her drawer playfully. I know there's a line we shouldn't cross before it gets too intimate between us, so I just walk back and let her close the drawer.

"Ok, I guess you can handle that last part without me."

"Thank you for your help," she offers sincerely.

"No problem," I answer and walk out of her room with a huge smile on my face. I'm glad that we managed to spend some time together without aggravating our situation in one way or another.

After I take off my clothes I lie down in bed and listen to her ruffle through her stuff, trying to picture what she's doing. After a while, there isn't a sound coming from her room anymore, and the lights go off. I eventually fall asleep with that fucking smile still etched on my lips.

The next day I get off work early as well. Emmett told me they planned a little surprise moving out party for Bella, asking me if they could invade my apartment for one night. I agreed immediately; it's better that leaving her to mull over in her room all night, thinking about the apartment that she has to leave.

Bella comes home not long after me and joins me in the living room after changing into a pair of jeans. I'm glad she did; I was barely able to restrain last night with her underwear, I'm not sure I'd have the same strength with her parading in that tight skirt and high heels. I'm doing my best to behave myself around her, but the fact that she's the living cliché of the secretary fantasy isn't helping one bit.

"No plans for tonight?" I ask casually as she sits down at the other end of the couch.

"No, I'm moving tomorrow, I don't want to be too tired. What about you?"

"I do have plans, actually," I reply with a small smile, referring to the little get-together organized for her and that she still doesn't know about.

"Oh," she says, and she's visibly annoyed. It's the second time I witness a hint of jealousy in her reaction, and I like it more than I probably should. We watch TV for a while, until we hear a knock on the door. I stand up and go to open the door, letting everyone inside.

"Hi, Bella," they all say at the same time, and Alice explains that we organized a surprise for her last night here. She turns to me, her hands propped on her waist, and looks straight at me.

"You're actually celebrating me moving out of your place?" She asks incredulously, a teasing glint dancing in her eyes.

"Yes, finally," I sigh back with the same playful undertone, winking at her; and she smiles.

We all sit down around the coffee table, the girls taking a seat on the couch, leaving us guys on the floor. Rosalie seems very excited about moving in with Bella, and they start organizing the next day. I stay silent, not really knowing if I'm supposed to be a part of it. She has to move out because of me, after all.

"Let's order some pizza, I'm starving." Emmett exclaims out of nowhere.

"I'll get it", Bella answers, getting up from the couch to call the pizza delivery. She passes right by me on her way to the kitchen, and without thinking my gaze follows her and lands on her ass for a second. When I turn my head back to the group, everyone is staring at me.

"What?" I ask defensively, knowing very well that they caught me checking her out.

"You're so obvious, man," Emmett chuckles, and Alice bursts out laughing. I don't bother responding, there's no point pretending they're mistaken, because they're clearly not. I can't keep my eyes off her, I'm drawn to her; and they all notice it.

Bella comes back from the kitchen with beer, and informs us that the pizzas will be here in twenty minutes. The conversation flows naturally, and I'm glad that Jasper doesn't ignore me anymore, even though we don't talk to each other directly. The pizzas arrive, and we eat without stopping the conversation. When we're finished eating, Jasper gets up and starts picking up the boxes.

"Edward, can you give me a hand?" He asks matter-of-factly, and everyone turns to me expectantly.

"Sure," I answer hesitantly, standing up from my spot on the floor and following him. We walk to the kitchen and he turns to me with a serious expression on his face.

"I need to say something," he starts in a grave tone.

"I'm listening," I answer as he looks at me straight in the eye and takes a deep breath.

"Four years ago I had to witness my best friend make the biggest mistake of his life." His voice sounds so sad, and his eyes are begging me to understand. "I tried to talk to you about it, and you basically told me to fuck off."

"I didn't tell you-" I start but he cuts me off.

"Maybe not in those words," he concedes, "but that was the idea. Maybe I didn't react the way I should have, but you were expecting me to watch you jump off a cliff and wait patiently to see how fucked up you'd be when you'd reached the bottom," he adds, shaking his head slightly and dropping his eyes to the floor. He wasn't there for me when I needed him; for the good times and the bad, but I can't deny we worried about me.

"How fucked up do you think I am?" I reply after a few seconds, and he lifts his gaze back to me.

"It took you three months to come back here and talk to your mother, Edward. So I'm guessing it was pretty bad," he answers almost apologetically. There's an edge to his tone, though, that bothers me; a hint of superiority, because he already knew what took me four years to discover.

"What do you want me to say?" I retort rather harshly, wondering if he's expecting me to apologize for not listening to him.

"Nothing, Edward," he assures me and pauses for a second. "If I wasn't there for you, it was because you wouldn't let me be."

"Is that why you started banging my sister?" I snap at him, and I regret it the moment the words are out. He takes a quick step closer to me, his icy blue stare level with mine, his stance menacing.

"Say that again and I'll fucking punch you, this time," he threatens, and I'm only happy to see how much he really cares about Alice. "I fell in love with your sister," he adds, resuming his position a step away. "And…I fucking loved you man, like a brother, and it hurt," he admits and I realize it's his way of apologizing to me, sort of.

"Thanks for taking care of her," I offer earnestly, and he looks at me incredulously.

"Finally, something smart coming out of your mouth, fucking Christ," he exclaims with a smile, and we both laugh quietly. Honestly, I'm glad he was there with Alice when I wasn't; and I realize the only reason I was mad at him was because I missed him.

"I never chose my best man, you know; it was supposed to be you," I confess and a small smile lifts the corner of his lips.

"You never asked," he comments.

"You would've said no."

"Damn right, I would've!" He retorts proudly, as if I should thank him for that. After all, he was right about Laurie, he knew from the start I was making a mistake.

"I love you, too, Jas" I say and he pulls me into a big man hug.

"What are you-" Bella says as she enters the kitchen and stops mid-sentence. "Oh, am I interrupting something? Alice, I think your boyfriend's gay," she yells, leaning in the doorway and laughing at us.

"Come on, we're having a moment, here," I yell, too, grabbing the towel and throwing it in her face. She giggles and throws it back at me before exiting the room, leaving Jasper and me still laughing. I turn back to him with a huge grin that I can't seem to be able to control, and he eyes me with a strange look in his eyes.

"Edward, I was right about Laurie; before anyone else, I could feel it. I never misjudge people, call it a sixth sense or something," he says and I snort.

"Fuck, Alice and you are really quite a pair," I remark mockingly, and he rolls his eyes at me.

"I know you better than anyone else," he continues, "You were wrong once; don't make another mistake now because you're too scared."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why the fuck are you letting Bella move out, away from you?" He asks and then just walks out of the kitchen before I have time to answer. I don't what I would've answered, though, because the truth is, I'm not sure anymore that I want her to go. I follow him to the living room, and I notice Alice sliding down from the couch to sit between Jasper legs, leaving me a spot next to Bella.

"How you going to dump me now that you got the other Cullen back?" Alice asks Jasper, making us all laugh.

"No way, you're doing things that he won't," he answers indecently.

"For fuck's sake, I don't want to hear it," I cringe.

We keep talking and laughing, and the more time passes the harder it becomes not touching Bella. She keeps looking at me from the corner of her eye, slightly turning her head to me every few minutes, even when I'm not the one talking.

"Who wants to play poker?" Rose suddenly asks. Jasper sits up straight and I see his smile widening instantly.

"Yes, I haven't kick your ass in a long time, Edward," he says cockily. He was always better than me at poker, and he knows it.

"True, but I kicked yours last week," I retort smugly with a wink, referring to the punch. He tries to glare at me, but he visibly can't help joining in as everyone laughs.

"Game on, man," he challenges.

"Last time I played it was in College, with Bella,' Emmett intervenes. "Well it was strip-poker, actually."

"Nobody wants to see you naked, man," Jasper counters in disgust.

"I do!" Rosalie yells, earning a wink from Emmett. Bella laughs softly and throws a glimpse in my direction, biting her lip and blushing lightly. It's too tempting not to seize the opportunity.

"You shouldn't laugh when you're as guilty as her," I murmur as I bring my mouth closer to her ear.

"Come on Edward," she whispers back, "If I want to see you naked, I just walk in the bathroom while you're showering." Her voice drops seductively at the end and she keeps on her gaze on me. The last time she hit on me so forwardly was when she was drunk, and I wonder how many beers she had tonight.

"Are you drunk again?" I ask. She shakes her head, points to the beer bottle still half-full she's been drinking since the beginning of the night, and then leans closer to me.

"Not enough to say things I wouldn't want to," she throw my words back at me, and winks.

They all seem to have noticed our intimate exchange; all eyes are on us, and I get a very pointed look from Jasper. Nobody says a word, though, and we start the game.

After playing more than an hour, Bella, Alice, Rose and Emmett have lost, leaving me facing Jasper. Alice is leaning against him, Rosalie moved to the foot of the couch, resting her legs on Emmett's lap while he's massaging her calves. Bella and I are still on the couch, and she's moved gradually closer to me so that she can look at my cards. It's getting difficult to concentrate; her thigh is pressed against mine, her long hair brushing against my arm, and she smells really fucking good.

"We should make this a little bit more interesting," Jasper suddenly challenges after taking a quick look at his cards. "Let's bet more than peanuts."

"What do you have in mind?" I ask worriedly. If he makes that proposition, it means he's sure he's going to win.

"Like our trip to L.A., man," he answers mischievously. "If you lose, you get another tattoo, and I get to chose what and where this time."

"Oh, I want to hear that story," Bella chimes next to me, clearly bubbling with anticipation.

"We took a trip to Los Angeles together back in College," Jasper starts. "It was Spring break, Sophomore year. We played poker, bet that the loser would get a tattoo, but the winner would decide the design and the part of the body."

"I won," I continue smugly, even though it was the only time I ever won against him. "He got a cute little heart on his left butt cheek."

"You actually did it?" Emmett exclaims, flabbergasted.

"He did," Alice confirms, and I still can't get used to her being in a position to confirm that.

"A bet is a bet," he says dismissively. "So, are you in?"

"I'm in," I declare excitedly, "as long as you promise not to ruin my other tattoos."

"Of course not," he reassures.

"You got others except that one?" Emmett asks, gesturing to my arm.

"Yes, I have one that goes from my left shoulder blade, over the shoulder and around the ribs to my chest."

"That's big. What is it?"

"It's bio-mechanical" I explain. "Basically, it looks like some of the skin was ripped off to expose a metal robotic skeleton." I turn to Bella who's looking at me with a pout on her lips, and I can't help but burst out laughing.

"So that's what it is?" She asks still pouting, as if someone else had opened her Christmas present.

"You could have just asked, if you wanted to know so badly," I retort.

"And would you have taken off your shirt to let me look?" She asks alluringly, and I'm helpless under her irresistibly sexy gaze. She obviously knows the effect she has on me, and she's fucking playing with me. I can tell she's getting aroused by the mere thought of me taking off my shirt in front of her; the only problem is, so am I.

"Fuck," I choke as I turn away from her. "Let's play, man," I beg Jasper, who apparently can't wipe that triumphant smile from his face.

We play the last hand and as I thought, Jasper wins.

"Yes!" he shouts, fist bumping Alice. "I'm not going to be too hard on you, though. I think a cute little heart on you left butt cheek should do just fine," he adds victoriously as he stands up, bringing Alice up with him. "Alright darling, let's get you to bed."

"Yes, please," she yawns.

"Same thing, here, babe. Come on," Emmett says, pulling Rosalie to her feet. They all grab their jackets, says goodnight and head out.

I haven't had such a good time in months, maybe even more. A big weight has been lifted off my chest after clearing things up with Jasper. We were both selfish, made mistakes, but I'd rather move on than hold grudges. I'm glad he does, too. Tonight was another step to get my life back together, yet all I can think about is Bella's behavior towards me.

As we are left alone, we move back to the living room to clear the remnants of the night.

"It was fun," I say awkwardly. Now that we're alone, I don't know how to act around her. I want to keep flirting, have her body close to mine; but the context is different, and so are the consequences.

"Yes, it was." She agrees sadly, and the look in her eyes takes my breath away. She's been flirting with me all night long, making sexual innuendos; but what I discern in her gaze is not only lust anymore.

I go in my room while she walks to the bathroom, and suddenly the reality overwhelms me. She's leaving tomorrow. This is her last night here; the last night I go to bed with her in my apartment. And I don't know when I'll see her again. I start pacing in my room, almost panicking. Jasper's right, why the fuck am I letting this girl go away? It's probably too late now to hold her back; but I can still hold her, even if only just for tonight.

She comes out of the bathroom and I have to stop her before she goes to her room and closes the door.

"Bella," I croak, my throat suddenly tightening.

"Yes," she answers with a smile, walking back and stopping in my doorway. I take a few steps until I'm right in front of her, and the hint of hope in her eyes is all I need to spur me on. I take off my shirt and drop it on the floor; her breathing speeds up instantly. Her eyes never leave mine; she clearly knows will happen next, and she's not walking away.

"Look at it," I give, because I fucking crave her eyes on me like I never have before. A small smile forms on her lips and she takes a step forward, dropping her eyes to my chest. I stay still, my eyes on her, as she focuses on the drawing on my skin. She studies all the details, slowly moving around me to follow the design on my ribs as I lift my arm to let her look. She steps behind me and my entire body sets on fire when I feel her fingertips grazing the skin of my back, tracing the lines of the drawing. She puts her hand flat on my skin and runs it over my shoulder, hooking the fingers of her other in the waistband of my jeans and pulling her body against my back. She plants a soft kiss on my shoulder blade, and I'm going to burst if I don't take her right now.

I swiftly turn around, grab her neck and pull her to me forcefully, crashing my lips to hers. I kiss her passionately, like I've wanted to kiss her for days, and the feeling surpasses anything I could've imagined. She presses her whole body against mine, tangling her fingers in my hair and pulling; she's as frantic in her kiss as I am. I slide my hands down her back to her ass and lift her off the floor as she locks her legs around my waist, eliciting a low grunt from me as my fantasy finally comes true. I move to the bed without breaking the kiss, and lie her down on the mattress under me. Our tongues move together fiercely. I'm devouring her, I can't get enough of her and she pulls me even closer. I move my lips to her jaw, down her neck, nipping at her soft skin. I can't resist the urge to bite her and I fucking hope it's going to leave a mark. I grab her wrists, forcing her to release my hair, and pin her hands on the bed above her head. She's writhing under me, pushing her heels into my ass as I press my hard cock between her thighs. The deep moan that escapes her lips is the sexiest thing I've ever heard. I fucking love the sounds she's making and I'm going to spend all night making her moan like that for me.

I pull away slightly to look at her; the intensity of her stare is breathtaking. She's absolutely tantalizing; I've never wanted a woman like I want her right now. I crash my lips to hers again, not willing to waste a single second of this smoldering bliss.

She might be gone tomorrow, but tonight she's mine.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Don't start yelling at me just yet, this is not a lame fade-to-black, I just wanted the night of mind-blowing sex to be from Bella's point of view! So, next chapter!**_

_**Thanks to all of you reviewed the previous chapter, I'm sorry I didn't have time to reply, RL has been hectic because of work, and my kids got chickenpox... **_

_**Thanks to my beta theotherbella, send her some love because she's doing the best she can to beta this as fast as possible!**_

_**I can't wait to hear what you think about this one! Review! **_


	12. Uncertain tomorrow

**Chapter 12 – Uncertain tomorrow**

**BPOV**

I just had the most entertaining night I've had in weeks. All my friends arranged a small party for me, and even though it was just pizza, beer and poker, it was really fun. I'm relieved that they didn't let me spend the evening alone, probably locked in my room mulling over the situation.

Even after we agreed that nothing else would happen, Edward's been very nice to me. He helped me pack yesterday, we talked and laugh. Yet, we can't help but tease each other. The attraction between us is still palpable. It's difficult not to cross the line between trying to be friends, and surrendering to our desires. I don't know if we could ever be friends, though. The temptation would never go away.

Tonight could be the last night he and I spend together. I don't know when I'll see him again, and I couldn't refrain from flirting with him. I needed to feel his eyes on me, to see him smile at me. I didn't realize before how much I crave his attention. Alice and Rosalie were right the other night, he was flirting with me, and I was jealous at the thought of him and another woman. I tried hard to do the right thing for both of us, but tonight I couldn't refrain from being more than friends, and I knew he couldn't, either. He let me sit close to him on the couch, he watched me with his hungry stare. It felt so natural to be intimate with him; it felt right.

Now that everyone has left, things are different. We're alone, and our actions can have serious consequences. I can tell he feels as uncomfortable as I am when we come back to the living room to clean up the mess.

"It was fun," he says awkwardly.

"Yes, it was," I agree, and I can't force my voice to sound cheerful when I look at him. I desperately want to be close to him again, to feel his warmth against me.

As soon as we're finished I walk to the bathroom. I feel vulnerable under his stare as I see clearly in it how much he wants me, too. I splash some water on my face and wait a few minutes, hiding. Tonight was fun, but I'm still moving out of his apartment tomorrow. He probably still wants me out of here.

I exit the bathroom, thinking he's already in his room. His door is still open when I pass by his bedroom, but I don't dare looking inside.

"Bella," he calls my name in a constricted voice.

"Yes?" I smile at him instinctively as I walk back to his doorway. He takes a few steps and stops in front of me. The look in his eyes is so intense I let myself hope that maybe he wants more than just say goodnight, and a glint of victory flashes in his expression. He takes his shirt off, dropping it to the floor, and my breath hitches. I keep my eyes on him, we both know what will happens next and I'm not walking away before I can spend at least one night with him.

"Look at it," he whispers, and I can't repress the smile creeping on my lips. I've wanted to look at him, touch him since the first time I saw him. He's giving me the chance to do just that.

I take a step forward and drop my eyes to his chest, finally looking at his tattoo. The design is brutal; violent, but the drawing is flawless and there are so many details. I study all the lines, the shadows that make it look incredibly realistic. There seem to be so many layers, his skin ripped off, the metal pieces, with some parts showing the flesh and bones underneath. The perspective is truly amazing, this is a real piece of art.

I move around him to follow the design around his ribs as he lifts his arm to let me look, and I step behind him, my eyes never leaving his skin. I ache to touch him and I lift my hand, grazing my fingers along the lines of his tattoo. The feel of his skin is electrifying, I need more. I put my hand flat on his back and run it over his shoulder, and my whole body sets on fire. I hook my fingers in his jeans, pulling my whole body against his, and plant a soft kiss on his shoulder blade.

He swiftly turns around and grabs my neck, pulling me to him forcefully. He crashes his lips to mine, kissing me passionately, and it feels more amazing than I could ever remember. All the restraints we had vanish and I lose myself completely in him. His hands move slowly down my back, grabbing my ass and he lifts me off the floor as I lock my legs around his waist, the sexiest grunt escaping his throat. Without breaking the kiss, he takes a few steps and lies me down on the bed underneath him. I'm already breathless but I pull him even closer in our frantic kiss until he moves his mouth to my jaw and then my neck. I feel his lips nipping at my skin, and suddenly his mouth opens and he bites me. The stinging feeling shoots through my entire body, I'm burning up. He grabs my wrists and forces me to release his hair, pinning my hands above my head as he moves over me. I push my heels into his ass, grinding against his hard cock as he pushes harder between my thighs, and I can't help the moan escaping my lips.

He pulls away slightly to look into my eyes, hovering over me. His intense stare is burning with desire and I need him closer again. I've never wanted a man so badly in my life, my entire body is aching for him to take me, and I surrender completely to him. Tomorrow I'll be gone, but tonight I want to be his.

He keeps both my wrists in one of his hands as the other travels down my side and slides under my shirt. He slowly grazes my skin until he reaches the underside of my breast, and my back arches instinctively, craving his hands on me. He breaks the kiss and releases my wrists, grabbing the hem of my shirt and lifting it over my head, but pauses for a second to watch me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Bella, it's not fair," he says in a seductive voice. "You've seen me naked," he moves away from me, standing up at the foot of the bed, leaving me lying there. "But I haven't seen you." His eyes roam over my body hungrily, waiting for me to take off the rest of my clothes.

"You want to watch?" I answer teasingly as I unbutton my jeans and slide them down my thighs.

"Fuck yes," he sighs and helps me get them off completely without taking his eyes off me. I reach behind my back to unhook my bra and I throw it at him playfully, emboldened by his stare on me.

"You want to play, baby?" He asks, his smile widening. "You don't know what you're in for."

"Show me," I answer as I slide my panties down my legs and lie back on the bed completely naked. His eyes roam over me, studying every inch of my body with a carnal expression.

"You're fucking beautiful," he breathes, and then his tongue darts out to lick his lower lip as he unbuttons his jeans, leaving them hanging on his hips. He bends down to grab me by the knees and slides me closer to him until I can sit on the edge of the bed. His gaze is locked on mine and he tangles his fingers in my hair, pulling me closer. I put my mouth on the skin of his perfectly defined abs, hooking my fingers in his boxers, and I hear him gasp when I slowly move my lips closer to his erection. I bring his jeans and boxers down to his ankles in one swift move, releasing his cock and taking it in one hand. I grab his ass with the other and run the tip of my tongue along his shaft before taking him in my mouth.

"Fuck…so good" he moans, his hand fisting in my hair as I suck his length into my mouth and release it with a swirl of my tongue. My hand follows my lips up and down his cock as he rocks his hips softly in rhythm. He's panting, his hand gripping my head gently, and suddenly he pulls at my hair, forcing me to release him and throws me back down on the bed. He climbs on top of me, positioning himself between my legs and captures my mouth into a passionate kiss.

"You're amazing, baby," he murmurs as he reaches between my thighs and swiftly thrusts one finger inside my pussy. I whimper and spread my legs wider, earning another moan from him. "You're so wet for me."

"I need you inside of me, Edward," I almost beg and I feel his smile widen against my lips. He grabs my hip and shifts slightly to place the head of his cock at my entrance. He pauses there for a second and I'm burning with need, trying to move to take him inside of me. His hand grips my hip tight enough to keep me in place before pushing inside of me slowly until he's filling me completely. A low grunt rumbles in his throat and he crushes his lips on mine. Our tongues mingle, he's devouring my mouth and I bring my hands to his hair again, pulling gently. I lift my hips, meeting his every thrust as his cock slides in and out of me more and more forcefully. His hand travels down my side again, down to my knee and he pulls my leg higher around his waist. I feel his cock deep inside of me and moan again, desperate for more. I push his hand away for a second and lift my leg over his arm to rest my ankle on his shoulder. He breaks the kiss, the expression in his eyes me a mix of lust and admiration, and puts his hand back on my thigh.

"It's so fucking good to be inside you," he groans, pulling out completely and slamming his dick back inside of me. I grab his neck and crash my mouth to his, biting his lower lip. His body is crushing me, my leg trapped between us, my knee almost next to my ear.

"Who's bendy, now?" I tease and he just about growls. I watch him thrust in me, the muscles of his chest taut, the shadows dancing over his tattoo and his arms flexing. He's absolutely tantalizing, the look in his eyes is pure desire, his mouth slightly open. The sensations are overwhelming me, I can't hold back the loud moans escaping me. I'm screaming in pleasure, feeling my orgasm build up inside of me and a tingling feeling crawling up my feet as he keeps a fast pace.

Suddenly, he pulls back to move in a sitting position, keeping me against him, his dick still buried deep inside of me. I lock my legs behind him and start rocking my hips, riding him. He trails his mouth down to my breast, swirling his tongue around my nipple and then moving to the other one.

"Fuck, Bella, you're so sexy," he grunts as I reach behind me and prop my hands on his thighs. The feel of his cock in this position is driving me on the edge of my orgasm.

"Come for me, baby," he commands, his hands never leaving my ass. I rock my hips faster, finding the perfect angle until I'm overcome by a wave of pure bliss. I scream his name in pleasure, throwing my head back, my eyes screwed shut. My heart is hammering in my chest, I'm breathless, and I unconsciously slow down my movements, relishing the ecstasy. He pulls me closer to him into a deep kiss, his hand fisted in my hair, his tongue languidly stroking mine.

He swiftly moves and suddenly he's lying on top of me again.

"You're absolutely gorgeous when you come for me," he murmurs in my ear, eliciting another moan from me. He pulls out of me, stands on his knees and lifts my leg to make me turn around before grabbing my hips and pulling me up so that I'm on my hands and knees. His hold on my hips tightens and he thrusts his cock in me again. "I want to see that again."

His hands roam all over my body as he moves in and out of me unhurriedly. They travel from my ass to my waist, up my back and he strokes my shoulders for a moment. He leaves one there and moves the other down my back again, resting it on my ass. I roll my hips in rhythm with his thrusts and his hand moves closer to where our bodies are joined. His fingers are sprawled on me around his cock as his thumb comes stroking my clit.

"_J'adore ton petit cul_", he utters in a flawless French, and the sound of his voice combined with his finger drives me over the edge again. My legs are shaking under the overpowering pleasure he's giving me, and my arms give up. I fall flat on my stomach, and he rests his body on top of me, pinning me to the bed, without ever stopping his thrusts.

"Do you like it when I speak French, _ma puce_?" he whispers in my ear in a voluptuous voice, keeping the same slow rhythm.

"Fuck, Edward, yes," I whimper. He props himself up on his elbow, pushing the hair of my face with his other hand. I turn my head to look at him; the hungry smile never leaves his lips, and he looks at me as if he was going to eat me. I arch my back, lifting my ass to meet his thrusts.

"_Absolument somptueuse. T'es juste magique_," he whispers against my cheek. He grabs both my wrists with one hand and pins them above my head, fisting the other in my hair. He moves his legs from between mine and pushes my knees together with his, effectively entrapping my legs. The sensations are completely different, I feel his cock sliding in and out of me and he's hitting just the right spot deep inside. I can't move at all, his chest is crushed against my back, his mouth on my ear, nipping at my lobe.

"You like that, baby? You like being trapped under me, don't you?" He asks naughtily as he speeds up his pace.

"Yes," I scream as he slams into me powerfully. I feel my walls tightening around him again as his mouth travels down to bite me on the shoulder.

"_T'es à moi, ma puce,_" he almost growls, pushing me over the edge of another mind-blowing orgasm as he tightens his grip on my wrists and pulls at my hair, coming inside of me in one last hard thrust.

We both lay there panting, my heart is beating so fast I can't catch my breath. He's slowly relaxing on top of me, his body crushing mine. He releases my wrists after a moment and runs his fingers in my hair affectionately, leaving small kisses on my neck and shoulder where he bit me. It feels very intimate, tender; and deep down I have the feeling that this wasn't just sex. Truthfully, I don't want it to be.

He softly pulls out of me, moving to my side but my limbs are still too weak to move. He keeps his eyes on me, a content smile on his lips, and inhales deeply. I return his smile and close my eyes, still drifting in my bliss.

"Get under the covers before you fall asleep," he murmurs sweetly and I just nod. I push myself up as he grabs the box of tissues on the nightstand and I quickly run to the bathroom to clean myself up. When I come back he's already under the covers in the dark, with only the soft glow of the moon seeping through the curtains. I crawl in bed next to him and he instantly pulls me into his arms, letting me rest my head on his chest. He holds me tightly, running his fingers in my hair again as I put my arm around his waist and fall asleep in his arms, already dreading tomorrow.

We're both startled awake the next morning by a loud bang on the door.

"Fuck, we overslept," he yells, sitting up straight on the bed.

"Shit," I shriek as we both jump out of bed and get dressed as fast as humanly possible. There's another bang on the door, undoubtedly from Emmett, and Edward runs to the entrance to open.

"What took you so long? You guys were sleeping?" Emmett asks curiously, so loud that I can hear him clearly.

"Yes, neither of us thought about setting the alarm clock, apparently," Edward answers meekly.

"Hey guys," I sing as I join them, acting as naturally as I can manage, but both Emmett and Jasper watch me suspiciously. They don't say anything, though and I throw a glimpse at Edward, who's doing his best to act casual. I struggle to do the same, but I'm almost panicking. We didn't have time to talk about our night together, about what it meant. I have no idea how he envisages the situation, whether it was just one night for him, or something more. We just spent an amazing night, but I don't know if it changes anything for him. The only thing I'm sure of is that it does for me. However, until we can talk about it in private and figure it out, it's probably best to follow the plan we had set for today.

Emmett and Jasper walk to my room to take the first boxes, and I follow them as Edward goes to the bathroom. I freeze behind them when I enter my bedroom, and they both turn to me questioningly. The bed is perfectly done, it's obvious that I didn't sleep in it. I stand there speechless, not really knowing what to say, as if they needed an explanation, anyway.

"Are you still moving?" Emmett asks with a knowing smile, implying that spending the night with Edward necessarily meant that I wasn't anymore. My face falls instantly, because I don't know if that's the case, even though I'm sure last night was not just about sex. The intensity of his eyes on me, of his words meant more, undoubtedly, but he could still want to be alone for a while. And maybe he should.

The guys notice my reaction and their smile fade immediately.

"You don't know. You didn't talk about it," Jasper says, understanding immediately without me having to explain.

I'm about to answer, but I stop when I hear Edward's phone ringing in his room. He passes in the hallway without looking at us, and I hear him mumbling "what the fuck". He apparently doesn't answer, and the ring stops after a few seconds. He walks out of his room with his phone in his hand, joins us in my room and before any of us can speak, the phone rings again. He cuts it off immediately, running his hand in his hair nervously.

"Ok, what do we do here?" Emmett asks almost casually, trying to ignore Edward's strange behavior with this mysterious call. I turn to Edward, hoping I'll see in his eyes the answer I need. But the phone rings again.

"Fuck," he shouts and finally picks up. "What?" he asks harshly as he walks back to his room, closing the door behind him.

I turn back to Emmett and Jasper and we stay silent, wondering what this was about. Obviously something is wrong, and there are probably not a lot of people Edward wouldn't want to answer to, and be so mad at. My chest constricts at the thought that it might be his ex calling him, and I have the confirmation when we overhear him yelling on the phone.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I don't want to see you, go the fuck back to France!"

We stare at each other in silence. We all understood that she's here, evidently, and that she wants to see him. Even though we probably shouldn't, none of us can stop eavesdropping.

"I don't give a shit, Laurie. What do you want us to talk about, anyway? There's nothing else to say," he yells again and then pauses for a moment, leaving us waiting for him to respond to what she's saying on the phone. "What? Twenty minutes? I can't fucking believe that you'd do that," and there's a pause again. "Yeah, fine. Looks like I don't have a choice, anyway," he sneers, and we don't hear anything else.

Jasper and Emmett keep their eyes on me cautiously, waiting for my reaction to this unexpected and unwelcome visit from his ex. And there's only one thing I can think of: I never wanted to be stuck in the middle of this, I don't want to be here when she arrives. More importantly, I don't want to see Edward with her, no matter what happens.

"Grab the boxes. I guess I'm moving out," I declare, taking the sheets off the bed and putting them in the last open box. They don't respond and comply in silence.

Edward comes out of his room and stops in his doorway as Emmett and Jasper pass by him with boxes in their arms.

"We'll be gone in twenty minutes," I just say as I walk past him, not daring to look at him as he stands there without saying a word. I get to my car and leave the guys to take all my belongings and meet me at Rose's apartment.

I drive with my throat tightened, trying hard not to overreact. It felt so right to be in Edward's arms and I'm sure he felt it, too. I don't know when I'm going to see him again, but this is definitely not the end. And even though his ex came back, it's clear that he doesn't want to see her again. I try to rationalize the situation the best I can, yet I struggle to hold back the tears in my eyes.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Late update again, but I hope it was worth the wait!  
><strong>__**I'm sorry for all of you girls who wanted Bella to stay, it was always part of the plan for her to move. But I'm all for HEA, so just wait!**_

_**Translation of French dirty talk ;):**_

"J'adore ton petit cul"_ : I love your cute little ass._

"ma puce"__: term of endearment, I don't really know how that would translate exactly. I guess "baby" or "sweetie" are closest.__

"Absolument somptueuse. T'es juste magique"__: Absolutly mesmerizing. You're just enchanting.__

"T'es à moi, ma puce"_: You're mine, my babe. _

_**Thanks to my beta theotherbella because she's just the best!**_

_**Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Keep'em coming!**_

_**On a side note, I wrote a one-shot for the Public Lovin' contest, **__**just for fun**__** (PublicLovinFFC here or PublicLovinFFC on twitter**__**). Go read and vote for the one you like best! **_

_**Mine is called High School Reunion! **_


	13. Without her

**Chapter 13 – Without her**

**EPOV**

I'm pacing in my room like a caged lion. Laurie will be here in a few minutes and I don't want to see her, or talk to her. I can't believe that she'd decide to travel across the world and barge in my apartment without asking me beforehand, and without giving me a choice. There's no point because I have nothing more to say to her. I wish she didn't know where I lived, but she does and she's obviously taking advantage of it.

I can't shake Bella's expression when she walked out of the apartment. She looked so vulnerable, insecure. I wanted to talk to her, but she was gone before I could find my words. It's probably best that she left, though. I don't want her to have to face Laurie, and she shouldn't be stuck in the middle of my issues. I have to handle this on my own.

I have no idea what Bella's thinking about what happened between us last night. We didn't talk about it, and maybe we should have before we fell asleep. Yet it felt so good to hold her in my arms; I didn't want to ruin the moment. Truthfully, I was also scared to broach the subject and see her leave anyway. The night we shared was amazing. It was wild, passionate, intense; it wasn't just sex, not for me anyway. And I don't think it was for her either. She was mesmerizing, she surrendered in my arms, gave herself to me and it really felt like she was mine. And deep down I think I want her to be, for more than one night.

I stay locked in my room as Emmett and Jasper come and go with Bella's belongings. I can't talk to them right now, my head is spinning and I can't think straight. They must have guessed what happened, they heard Laurie was here, and I can't explain anything right now. This situation is too much to handle, I'm drowning.

First I need to focus on getting Laurie away from me; and then I'll try to sort out the mess with Bella. I have to consider the possibility that for her it wasn't more than one night, and that she still wants to live someplace else. She might still believe that I need to be alone for a while to get my shit together. And judging by the latest turn of events, maybe I should.

I hear Emmett and Jasper mumbling from the other room, but I can't discern what they're saying. Suddenly I hear a soft knock on my door.

"Edward, we're going. The room is empty," Jasper says, and I don't answer as my chest constricts at the thought that Bella is effectively gone from my apartment.

"Call if you need anything, alright," Emmett offers cautiously from behind the door.

"Thanks," I answer meekly, and wait until I'm sure they've left to get out of my room. I don't dare looking into the empty room as I walk in the hallway, this is happening too fast. I don't know when I'm going to see her again, and I feel like shit as it dawns on me that I didn't even say goodbye to her. I just let her walk out without a word.

A few minutes later, Laurie knocks on the door, and I dreadfully open. She's standing there, her chin down, her eyes puffy and red, her blond hair lifted in messy bun. She really doesn't look good, and I don't like seeing her that way.

"Hi, Edward," she says in a weak voice, her eyes evidently begging me to let her come in. I sigh in renunciation and move to the living room, letting her enter and close the door behind her.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I inquire coldly as I take a seat in the couch.

"I came for you. I came to apologize," she responds, her voice trembling. I'm not sure whether she's truly distressed or she if she's doing it on purpose to soften me.

"You already apologized months ago. What makes you think I'll forgive, now?" I ask harshly and I notice tears are welling up in her eyes. She really looks pained, and after everything I've shared with her, it hurts to see her like that.

"Please don't cry," I beg her, but my voice is still cold. She wipes the tears from her eyes, takes off her jacket and sits on the couch next to me. It feels weird to be here with her; I'm still extremely mad at her for what she did to me, but having her next to me feels oddly familiar.

"I'm really sorry, Edward," she says earnestly, but I can't bring myself to care. It doesn't change anything. I don't answer, because I won't be able to stay calm and there's no point yelling at her again; I've done that enough. We just remain there in silence for the longest time, her eyes cast down as I'm looking out the window.

"Why did you come?" I eventually ask. "Why today?"

"We were supposed to get married next week," she answers in a strangled voice. "I just couldn't…I had to try."

"I don't know what kind of reaction you're expecting from me. Yes, we were supposed to get married next week, and the only reason we won't is because you fucked someone else," I reply, my voice rising again.

"I know," she admits as a tear rolls down her cheek. "I made the biggest mistake of my life, Edward. I was just-"

"What?" I cut her off, because I can't stand that she's trying to justify herself, but she doesn't stop.

"You were never there, you were distant, and I felt alone. I know you always had in the back of your mind that your family never liked me, and it hurt. I felt unworthy of you," she cries, and I interrupt her again.

"Well congratulations, you proved them right," I spit, and she closes her eyes. We stay silent again for a long time, until she starts weeping next to me.

"Edward, please, is there any way I can try to redeem myself?" She pleads between sobs. "Is there anything I can do, even if it takes years, to make you want to be with me again? I'd do anything, Edward, please."

I take a deep breath, and feign to consider her demand for a second. I don't want her to think I respond out of spite or anger. Before I can answer, she puts her hand on my thigh and my stomach churns.

"Get your hand off me," I snap harshly, glaring at her, and she complies.

"I'm so sorry. I just need to be in your arms again," she begs, the tears spilling freely from her eyes. But the resentment over what she put me through weighs more than the distant impulse to comfort her.

"Did you ever think about what I needed? Just once?" I ask grimly, and she doesn't answer. "I thought so. Let me tell you, then. I needed to live in my country and have my family around me; yet I gave it all up for you. I needed to have a wife whom I could trust, who would respect me; but you couldn't even be that person for me," I blame her in a cold tone.

"I'm sorry," she cries again, but I don't stop.

"What I need now is for you to leave, because if I were to hold someone in my arms right now, it certainly wouldn't be you," I continue, and a hint of surprise crosses her features. I didn't realize it before I said it, but she clearly caught the underlying meaning of my sentence.

"What does that mean? Is there somebody else?" She asks, her tone halfway between panicked and angry. I shouldn't have brought Bella into this, but now that I did, I might as well make it clear. And it's true, she's the one I want in my arms.

"No, there isn't somebody '_else'_. There's only her," I clarify. She drops her head to her hands for a moment, and then wipes the tears from under her cheeks. She turns her face to me and she seems completely lost. She brought this on herself, though, and I won't budge. "Get the fuck out of here, Laurie, and never come back."

She stands up from the couch, grabs her coat and walks to the entrance, and I don't bother following her. She opens the door but stops in the doorway.

"You got your revenge. If you want to move past this, I'll be in town until next week," she offers nicely, and closes the door behind her.

I stay motionless in the couch, pondering her words in my head. Once again, Bella seems to be nothing to me, from an exterior point of view. My mother worried that she'd be a rebound, and Laurie's assuming that she's just a way for me to get revenge. It hurts to think of her that way, and I don't doubt anymore. She's more than that to me, I'm sure of it, but I'm still in a bad place in my life and I could end up hurting her. I don't want to, and I don't want to see the same expression on her face that she was wearing when she left this morning, and know it's because of me.

It's time that I stopped acting on impulse and get my shit together for real. Otherwise people around me could suffer, and I could lose friends again. Bella is gone, now, and it might be a good idea to let her breathe for a few days, settle in her new apartment. We'll see if she wants to see me then. We both got lost in the attraction we feel for each other, maybe we should finally put things in perspective, before we make a mistake.

I spend the rest of the day cleaning the apartment, rearranging the furniture in my room. I'm actually proud of how I stood up to Laurie. I was finally able to express my feelings to her, without anger or resentment, just the truth. I don't want to be with her anymore, I never will.

I find my bearings again in my apartment now that I live here alone. But my mind instinctively drifts back to Bella. I walk to the kitchen to make myself a snack, and I remember the first day when we ate together, and I saw her smile for the first time.

I go to bed early that night, I'm really tired and I need to rest before the long week ahead of me. In the back of my head I can't help but wonder if they all spend the evening together after bringing her effects to Bella. Maybe they talked about me, about Laurie coming back. Maybe they thought she'd still be there with me, and I hope that's not what Bella believes.

I spend Sunday morning outside, going for a run. I come back and head to the shower, and I'm instantly reminded of Bella watching me. I get under the hot spray and I desperately want her to sneak into the bathroom and look at me. I close my eyes and all I can see is her lust-filled stare on my body. My cock reacts immediately and I can't refrain from grabbing it in my hand. I need the release so badly I start stroking my dick as visions of Bella writhing under me assail my mind. I pump faster, harder, focusing on the memory of her lips around me, on the sound of her voice when she moaned, until I come hard on the shower wall. I'm breathless, but the pleasure is feeble compared to what I felt in her arms.

I watch TV for the rest of the day, and I know I can't wait to go to work tomorrow. At least I'll have something to focus on, other than Bella. Even though I know it's probably best for both of us to take a little time, I don't like the way I feel now that she's gone.

Monday passes by very quickly. I work a lot, stay late at the office and only come home to sleep. As soon as I enter the apartment, I think of Bella coming home and smiling at me. Tuesday is exactly the same, I find myself wishing again that she was here when I come home, and I curse myself for letting this happen.

I don't hear from anyone until Wednesday night. I come home late again and when I enter, Emmett and Jasper are already inside, waiting for me on the couch with a beer in hand.

"Please, make yourself at home," I comment dryly, but it's obvious in my voice that I'm really happy to see them.

"Hi, man. How are you doing?" Emmett asks casually, completely ignoring my remark. I take off my jacket, grab a beer in the fridge and join them in the living room.

"How did you even get in?" I wonder.

"Bella gave me her key, asked me to give it back to you," He says uncomfortably, gesturing to the key he placed on the coffee table. I don't answer but I internally cringe, and it must show on my face because Emmett explains further. "She thought I'd probably see you before she did," he adds, and his attempt to sound casual fails miserably.

It's clearly not the reason why she gave him the key, and it dawns on me that maybe she in fact doesn't want to see me anymore. I just nod in response, not knowing what else to say, but they clearly see that something is bothering me. They pretend to talk lightly for a while, but at some point, Jasper asks me bluntly what happened with Laurie on Saturday. I relate the conversation to them, and assure them I won't let her back into my life. Jasper is looking at me straight in the eyes and I can tell he is relieved, and maybe a little proud of me. I also tell them her comment about me getting revenge.

"Edward," Emmett sighs, "it's the second time I've had a conversation with you worrying about hurting Bella."

"I just have no fucking clue how to get things right with her," I answer sincerely. It feels good to voice my concerns, and I realize that it's probably the reason why they're here tonight.

"How has it been since she moved out?" Jasper asks in a worried tone.

"I spent the weekend alone and I couldn't stop thinking about her. I come home every night and she's not here," I pause for a second. "I fucking miss her," I continue, finally allowing myself to say the words out loud. As much as I tried to convince myself that I could be friends with Bella, and make the right decision for both of us, it's not true; I just want her back.

"Then do something," Jasper replies almost reproachfully.

"What am I supposed to do, now? Ask her out on a date?" I ask skeptically. "Since the day we met, we couldn't keep our eyes or hands off each other. We can't pretend that nothing happened and go to a restaurant or some shit," I pause for a second and start again more calmly. "I'd like to take her out, actually, but I don't want to drive her back to Rosalie's place afterwards, I want her here. I want to see her smile when I come home, watch TV with her, cook for her. I want to-" I continue but Emmett cuts me off.

"Fuck her," he finishes my sentence with a smile on his face. Even though it's not what I was going to say, he's not wrong.

"Yeah, that too," I chuckle and they both laugh quietly. "I want to spend every night fucking her senseless."

"Then get her back, man," Jasper concludes enthusiastically, before taking a deep breath. Suddenly he seems tense and I keep my eyes on him, my brows furrowed.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about," he adds awkwardly, and I just nod for him to continue. "I want to marry your sister," he states proudly, his eyes shining with happiness. I stare him eyes wide open, frozen in shock. I've known about them dating for about two or three weeks, and now they're getting married. I'm stunned.

Emmett laughs loudly at my reaction, or lack thereof, and Jasper continues talking.

"We've been together for more than three years, Edward," he adds as a way of explanation, and I realize that he's actually anxious about of my opinion. Even though I still can't get my head around them being an item, I'm happy for them. I thought that talking about marriage and weddings would be very painful, considering that mine failed before it even started. To be honest, I'm more positive now than ever, if possible, that I made the right decision not getting married, and that he's making the right one marrying Alice.

"If you want permission, you're supposed to ask my father," I respond with a playful smile as I finally come out of my surprise.

"I already have your father's permission," he retorts with a smirk, and adds: "I want yours."

Once again I'm speechless; his sincerity is evident, and there's no way I could ever refuse him.

"Of course you have it," I declare as I pull him into a hug. He taps me on the shoulder and after a second he pulls back.

"Dude, we have to stop hugging," he comments shamefully, and Emmett and I burst out laughing. We settle down and I turn to Emmett.

"What about you? How is it going with Rose?" I ask.

"Good," he replies hesitantly, and both Jasper and I throw him a questioning look. "She hasn't slept at my place since she moved in with Bella; I guess she doesn't want to leave her alone," he explains further, and I feel bad that Bella could feel lonely again. I should've never asked her to move out. "On the other hand," he continues with a grin, "she' making it up to me with lunch time quickies, so I'm not going to complain. I'll fucking marry that woman one day," he states solemnly. Oddly, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

We keep talking for a while, and eventually they leave. I go to my room, get undressed and crawl into bed. I'm glad Emmett and Jasper came tonight. I know they worried about me, about how I handled the situation with Laurie, and I appreciate their support. I'm also happy that I could tell them about my uncertainties concerning Bella. Talking to them and having them encourage me was truly a relief.

I'm lying in bed and I can't stop thinking about Bella. I wish she was here with me, cuddled in my arms. I have to get her back, but I need to do it in a way that suits us. Our relationship has been fucked up from day one, and the more we tried to make it right, the worse it got. We have to stop overthinking this. I'm sick of tiptoeing around her; it never felt as natural between us as when she was playing with me, teasing me.

We have to stop complicating a situation that could be very simple. I want to be with her, and I'm sure she wants to be with me, it's as simple as that. All I need now is the ideal approach to get her to move back in with me, one that she won't refuse. And I think I have the perfect idea; perfect for us.

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>AN: Thank you so much for reading! Thank you for the lovely reviews, I was amazed by the massive response I got for the last chapter...I probably have to thank TwiFic Central for that ( they RTed the update!) **_

_**Huge hug to the guest reviewers, I can't reply to you guys but I loved your words! And as usual, my beta theotherbella is the best, so lots of kisses to her!**_

_**Also, happy birthday to theinfinitexsadness ! ;)**_

**Check out the one-shot I wrote for the Public Lovin' Contest, it's called High School Reunion...and votes are open, so go ahead and vote! (no shame in self-pimping, right?!)**

_**Now tell me, how do **_**you**_** think he's going to try and get her back? **_


	14. Without him

**Chapter 14 – Without him**

**BPOV**

"_We'll be gone in twenty minutes," I say as I walk past him, not daring to look at him as he stands there without saying a word. I get to my car and leave the guys to take all my belongings and meet me at Rose's apartment._

_I drive with my throat tightened, trying hard not to overreact. It felt so right to be in Edward's arms and I'm sure he felt it, too. I don't know when I'm going to see him again, but this is definitely not the end. And even though his ex came back, it's clear that he doesn't want to see her again. I try to rationalize the situation the best I can, yet I struggle to hold back the tears in my eyes. _

My throat is constricted as I arrive at my new apartment, and I don't bother trying to hide my despair. Rosalie is here with Alice, waiting for me to help unpacking Rose's and my belongings. As soon as they see me, their faces fall.

"What's wrong?" Alice asks worriedly, dropping what she had in hand to come to me, with Rose following her.

"I spend the night with Edward," I answer in a strangled voice.

"And he still asked you to move out?" Rose replies before I can say anything else, a hint of irritation in her tone.

"We didn't talk, his ex is in town apparently. I left before she arrived," I explain feebly, and it's Alice's turn to get upset.

"No fucking way," she yells. "What the fuck is that bitch doing here?"

"Calm down, Alice," I say, trying to appease her. "He clearly didn't want to see her, he'll probably ask her to leave, I guess. Anyway, I don't know if he would've asked me stay," I continue, still unable to control the lump in my throat. I don't need to explain to them, they see right through me, they know that I wish he did.

"You should talk to him, Bella," Alice encourages. "Let him know how you feel."

"He has enough on his mind for today. And he probably needs some time, so I guess I'll give him a few days before bothering him," I answer dejectedly, and I really believe that it's the best thing I can do for now.

They nod, even though I can tell they don't agree with me. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do. I can't go back, knowing that Laurie will still be there, and ask her to leave. It's his decision to make, not mine. I walk to my new bedroom with the only box I took with me and start making my bed as Alice helps Rose with her boxes. Jasper and Emmett arrive shortly after, and I don't dare asking them if they saw Laurie, or if Edward said something. They don't broach the subject, either. I can tell they're all uncomfortable around me, not really knowing what to say; I can't blame them. The day goes by rather quickly, all our stuff is unpacked and I pretend to be tired at the end of the afternoon, trying to avoid spending the evening with them. It wouldn't be as enjoyable as last night, without Edward. I wonder what he's doing and why we haven't heard from him since this morning. My chest tightens again as I imagine the different possible outcomes to his conversation with Laurie.

Rosalie and I spend our Sunday decorating the apartment. I know she's doing her best to make me feel good, even though she knows I wish I could've stayed with Edward. I'm saddened not to have heard from him since yesterday. It's probably best that he takes his time to sort out his issues, but I wish we could talk about that night we spent together. Either Laurie is still with him, or the conversation about us isn't important to him, I guess.

Rose and I are both exhausted after this long weekend and we go to bed early. I'm sure she'd love to spend the night with Emmett, but she probably doesn't want to leave me alone. As much as I appreciate it, I feel guilty that I'm keeping them apart.

I arrive at the office Monday morning and throw myself in work. I don't want to mull over what happened with Edward all day long, so I do my best to keep my mind occupied. I don't see Emmett at all that day and come back home late. Rose waits for me to eat dinner and I'm glad she doesn't mention Edward. We make small talk, mostly about work, and laugh; it's comforting. Unfortunately it doesn't last long. As soon as I close my eyes in bed, images of Edward swirl back in my mind. I see his green stare on me, I feel his hands on my skin, and his voice resonates in my head, his words tender yet possessive.

_T'es à moi, ma puce…_

I didn't doubt the sincerity of his words when he uttered them, and now I desperately want them to be true. I'm willing to give him time if that's what he needs, hoping he'll still want to see me at some point. I'm already starting to miss his presence.

Tuesday is exactly the same: long day at work and quiet evening with Rose. I fall asleep again wishing I was in Edward's arms, and the lump in my throat returns instantly. I arrive at the office Wednesday morning and drown myself in work again. A few hours later, as I rummage through my purse to find my chapstick, my hand comes in contact with the key to Edward's apartment. I ran out of his place so quickly on Saturday morning that I didn't think about it, and maybe I unconsciously hoped that I'd still need it. It seems less likely as the days pass, so I might as well give it back to him.

I haven't heard from him since that morning, maybe he really doesn't want to see me.

I walk decidedly to Emmett's office, fighting the sadness slowly smothering me. I enter without waiting for him to invite me in, startling him.

"Hi, Bells, What's up?" He asks in surprise.

"Can you give this back to Edward for me, please?" I answer as I place the key on his desk and turn around immediately to walk back to my desk, struggling to hold back the tears prickling in my eyes.

"Hey, stay right there," he calls back in a firm voice. "Sit down for a second. What's going on?"

"Nothing," I answer dismissively, not moving from my spot in the middle of his office. I don't want to talk about it, that's all I've been doing lately, and it clearly doesn't help.

"Nothing?" He asks again, his eyebrows furrowed. Obviously he won't drop the subject, so I take a deep calming breath and exhale loudly before answering.

"Emmett, I'm trying to be as reasonable as I can. Given that he threw his ex out the door the minute she arrived, which I don't even know for sure, he still hasn't tried to talk to me since. What am I supposed to do?" I ask defeatedly, and at this point I actually wished he had a solution. But he doesn't; he just casts his eyes down and shakes his head, so I continue. "I have no fucking idea what to think. Maybe he just needs some time alone." He seems to be deliberating on something, but he still doesn't say a word. I turn around and walk out of his office, and he doesn't stop me this time.

I go back to focusing on my work, until I receive a text from Rose later in the day. She informs me that Alice will be coming over tonight, and I'm torn between dreading the conversation they'll certainly engage in about Edward and me, and relieved that I'll have their opinion and support.

When I come back home Rosalie is already here and Alice arrives shortly after.

"Hi, Bella. How are you?" She asks sweetly. She tries to smile, but she's evidently not as cheerful as she usually is. She must be really worried about me.

"Fine," I answer, and even to my own ears it doesn't sound very convincing.

We gather in the kitchen, and Rose instinctively opens the freezer, grabbing the cookie dough ice cream.

"We all need it," she comments dryly as we sit around the table and start digging in the carton. Suddenly it dawns on me that I might not be the only one who's troubled these days, and I wonder why.

"Why do you need ice cream?" I ask the girls, and Alice starts talking.

"I've been having a weird feeling lately," she begins nervously. "Jasper's been acting a little strange, like he's hiding something."

"You stop right there," I counter immediately. "Jasper would never cheat on you. Ever." And Rosalie shakes her head next to me.

"I don't know him that well, but Bella's right. Did you try talking to him about it?"

"Yes, he just said that everything's fine," she says, but she's clearly not convinced.

"Don't get worked up over this. I've never seen a man more in love than he is with you," I add after swallowing a spoonful of ice cream.

"You're probably right. Thanks." She concludes meekly and turns to Rose questioningly, effectively shifting the conversation to someone else, so we don't press her further. Rose licks her spoon and sighs.

"Emmett's in love with me. He didn't say it, but I can feel it," she declares matter-of-factly, and I don't really understand her reaction.

"And that's a bad thing because…?" I ask.

"It's not," she retorts. "The only problem is that I can't spend time with him because I need to babysit you." She adds jokingly, making Alice laugh and almost choke on the ice cream in her mouth.

"Gee, thanks," I answer dryly, but I honestly love her for being so blunt.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you two?" Alice asks and she almost looks upset.

"He asked me to move out, what the fuck was I supposed to do?" I counter, because I really have no idea.

"Something. Anything," Rose yells as if she was trying to wake me up, and I can tell she's refraining from grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me. I remember what I did this morning, and I drop my face in my hands, knowing they won't like it.

"I gave my key back to Emmett this morning," I mumble, almost wishing they won't hear.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Rose exclaims. "Do you think they're going to get this right at some point?" She asks, and I lift my head to see her looking at Alice.

"I don't know, they're both pretty dumb apparently," she comments jokingly, as if I wasn't even there.

"But it's so obvious. They're right in front of each other; how can they not see it?" She continues.

"They're blind. And dumb," Alice adds, and I snatch the ice cream away from them.

"Thanks for your support, girls. I'm so glad I have friends like you," I remark sarcastically and they both laugh loudly.

"You should be," Rose finally says as they settle down. "Look, we understand that you want to give him some time to sort his shit out, it's very honorable of you. But don't give up on him, there clearly is something between you two."

I just nod and they seem to be reassured; although I'm not.

We keep talking and laughing until there's no more ice cream left, and Alice goes back home to Jasper. Rose and I go to bed, and I fall asleep instantly.

The next morning I wake up feeling completely lost. I had nightmares about Edward all night. I don't clearly remember what it was, but the odd sensation is still tightening my chest. I don't know what I have to do anymore, what is best for both Edward and I. I can't decide whether I should give him the time he needs to heal from his past relationship, or just force myself into his life and take whatever I can get from him.

I turn it over and over in my head, wondering what he thinks, what he wants, but the same question keeps coming back: why the hell is he staying away from me? It dawns on me that even if I decided to make the first step and contact him, I don't even have his phone number. We really didn't do anything properly.

I can't focus on my work, I don't even pretend to be working, lost in my rumination. I go grab a sandwich for lunch and eat alone at my desk, suspecting that Rose spends all her lunch breaks with Emmett anyway, as he's been coming back with a huge grin on his face every day this week. It can't possibly be just lunch.

Before I can get anything productive done, not that I tried, it's time for me to leave. Just as I'm about to shut down my computer I hear the elevator chime. I mechanically throw a glimpse, only to see Edward coming out of it in a dark grey suit. Maybe I'm biased by having not seen him for several days, but he looks even sexier than I remembered. He sees me instantly and walks straight to my desk.

"Hi, Bella. Is Emmett here?" He asks in a confident voice, his eyes boring into mine, and only now do I realize how much I've missed the way he looks at me.

"No, he's at the courthouse," I answer hesitantly, a little disappointed that he came to see Emmett and not me.

"Perfect," he says as a big smile forms on his lips. "Can I have a word with you in private?"

"Sure," I answer, and I can't contain the smile forming on mine. I get up from my chair and lead him through Emmett's office door, closing it behind him. He starts pacing in the office, suddenly he looks nervous yet determined at the same time. I'm getting impatient, I can't wait to hear what he has to say, and I'm anxious, too, as he seems a lot less confident than he was a few seconds ago. I take a few steps and go lean on Emmett's desk, waiting uneasily.

"First of all," he starts firmly, finally looking at me, "I told Laurie to get the fuck out of my life for good."

"Ok," I answer. It's not really a surprise as I saw clearly that he didn't want to talk to her, but I feel relieved nonetheless.

"And I'm sorry I didn't even say goodbye to you before you left," he continues apologetically.

"You don't have to apologize or explain anything, Edward," I reply. I don't care about what was done, I only want to know where we go from here. He takes a deep breath and sighs nervously, running his hand through his hair, and takes a step towards me.

"Look, you have baggage, and I do, too. Our relationship has been fucked up from the start. So seeing we don't seem to be able to get things done right, I'm going to continue with fucked up."

"Ok…" I reply apprehensively, not sure where this is heading.

"We fought," he starts again and speaks in a rush, "we came onto each other, dry humped at my parents before we even talked. And even then, we managed to screw it up. We spend the night together, and it was fucking amazing, and I still let you walk out of my apartment like a fucking moron. I have no idea what you think, and I'm pretty sure you have no idea how I feel about you. And just seeing you today is…" he trails off, and I need him to say things clearly, for once.

"What do you feel?" I ask looking at him straight in the eye, silently begging him to feel the same way I do. He shakes his head slightly, sighs again and takes two strides towards me. Before I can react he grabs my hand and places it on his crotch. I feel his cock rock hard in his pants, and I can't take my eyes off his hand on mine.

"Look at me, Bella," he whispers softly. I lift my eyes to his and I clearly distinguish the need burning in the green depth of his stare. "This is what I feel every time I see you, every time I think about you. For three excruciating months, I couldn't get my dick hard. And then I meet you and I'm hard all the time. This is what you do to me, this is how much you saved me," he confesses in a low voice, keeping my hand pressed on the bulge in his pants. My temperature raises instantly, a tingling sensation settling between my thighs and I can't help but feel proud that I had that effect on him. But as much as I'm aroused by him, I'm not completely satisfied by his confession.

"It's just sexual, then?" I ask, a tinge of disappointment seeping through my voice.

"No, you know it's not," he assures me earnestly before taking my hand from his crotch and placing it behind me on the desk, forcing me to lean back. "Let me show you." In a split second he lifts my skirt, pushes my feet apart with his to stand between my legs and slips his finger in my panties.

"What the…" I start and he thrusts his middle finger into me, "…fuck!" I gasp and he presses his lips on mine, kissing me deeply.

"You're so wet for me, baby," he whispers against my lips as his finger moves slowly, his thumb flicking my clit. "Do you do that often, Bella? Getting finger fucked on your boss's desk?" He asks in a throaty voice.

"Never," I answer breathlessly. I can't comprehend how this will help, but I don't want him to stop.

"Why not? See how much you love it," he asks and I suddenly understand what he means. He made his point in the best way possible.

"It's only because it's you," I breathe and a victorious glint crosses his eyes.

"I fucking love the sound of that. Say it again." He orders as he thrusts a second finger inside, making me whimper.

"It's only you, Edward."

"Fuck yes," he murmurs, his hand keeping a slow rhythm, his lips brushing against mine. "I don't give a shit about what we should do. All I know is that I want you, even if we both suffered before; even if we fucked before getting to know each other. I just want you, with me, all the time." He concludes, kissing me one more time before sliding his fingers out of me and stepping away.

"What the fuck? Get your fingers back in there," I just about yell as he sucks his fingers into his mouth with a smug expression on his face. He reaches inside his pants pocket and pulls out the key to his apartment I gave back to Emmett yesterday, and places it in my hand. I stare at the key, speechless, and he presses his whole body against mine, ghosting his lips on mine.

"Get your ass back in my apartment, first," he murmurs in a throaty voice and drives his hands in my hair, pulling me into a deep kiss. His tongue is delicately stroking mine, but he's needy in the way he kisses me. I can feel how much he wants me, physically but not only. He pulls away after a moment and walks back to the door, turning to me before opening it.

"Straighten you skirt, Bella. They don't need to see how much of a dirty girl you are," he smirks as I remain there, stunned. I pull my skirt down and he opens the door, keeping his eyes on me.

"Goodbye Miss Swan. It was nice seeing you," he says seductively.

"Goodbye Mr. Cullen," I reply in my sexiest voice, and his mouth opens slightly. He stares at me for a moment, immobile, and his tongue comes licking his lower lip hungrily. He shakes his head with a smile on his face and walks out, heading straight to the elevator and winking at me just before the doors close.

I quickly shut down my computer, grab my stuff and run back to my car. I can't repress the huge smile etched on my lips, I'm ecstatic. I need to get back to him as quickly as possible, I need his hand on me, and his arms around me.

I drive to Rose's apartment, grab a bag and put inside a change of clothes for tomorrow. Rose arrives at that moment and looks at me questioningly when she sees the bag in my hand.

"Are you going somewhere?" She asks mischievously.

"Back to Edward's apartment," I say as I walk past her to grab my make-up in the bathroom.

"Oh, no, you're abandoning me," she whines mockingly. "I guess I'll have to ask Emmett to stay here every night. Such a shame," she pouts and we both laugh.

"Thank you for everything," I simply say, hugging her before walking back to the entrance.

"No problem," she answers behind me. "I really enjoyed living with you, for six days."

I blow her a kiss and hastily walk out of the apartment with my bag in hand. I get in my car and drive back to Edward's place rather fast; I can't get there fast enough. I park my car in the lot, get in the building, inside the elevator and down the corridor. My heart is hammering in my chest, my entire body is aching to be in his arms.

I'm about to knock on the door, but I remember he gave me back my key. I take it out of my purse, and unlock the door before opening it. Edward is waiting for me sprawled on the couch in jeans and a t-shirt, a triumphant smile on his lips and his piercing green eyes locked on me.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: YES! Back to his place! :D_**

**_Thanks for the reviews! You're all awesome, I love you! Keep telling me what you think!_**

**_And as usual, big kisses to theotherbella, who's the best beta out there!_**

**_Don't forget to read my one-shot High School Reunion for the Public Lovin' Contest, and vote! ;)_**


	15. Re-acquaintance

**Chapter 15 – Re-acquaintance**

**EPOV**

I drive straight home after getting out of Emmett's office. I can't calm down, my heart is beating fast and my whole body is trembling with anticipation. I still feel Bella's lips on mine, and her smell on my fingers is driving me wild. I push my foot flat on the gas pedal, anxious to be home as quickly as possible.

I want to be there to welcome her; there's no doubt in my mind that she'll move back. I saw the look in her eyes, the way her body reacted to me. She was so tempting, I had to gather all my resolve not to fuck her on that desk, even more so when she called me Mr. Cullen. She's making my secretary fantasy come true; this girl is fucking perfect.

I enter the apartment and lock the door behind me, giving her the opportunity to use her key when she comes home. I walk to my room and change into a pair of loose jeans and a t-shirt. My cock is painfully straining against my boxers, but I don't want to touch myself before she arrives. I want her.

I pace back and forth between my room and the kitchen; I need to calm down because at this rate I'll probably end up fucking her against the front door as soon as she comes in. Right now it sounds like a great idea, but I know it's not.

I sit down and stretch my arms on the back of the couch, dropping my head back to look at the ceiling. I inhale deeply and exhale slowly, reiterating a few times until I'm a bit more relaxed.

Suddenly, I hear the sound of a key, and the door unlocks. Bella enters, closing the door behind her, and her eyes land on me. She walks slowly to me with a bag in hand, a gorgeous smile etched on her lips, and she's beautiful.

"It took you an hour to get here," I almost whine and her smile grows wider. I can tell she was as eager to see me as I was.

"I had to go pick up some clothes and explain to Rose that I'm moving back here," she replies sweetly, dropping her bag on the floor and taking off my jacket, her eyes never leaving mine.

"You're moving back," I whisper. Even though I knew she would, it's still a relief to hear her say it. She stops in front of me as I stand up and take her hands in mine.

"I am," she answers softly, bringing her body closer until it's brushing against mine. She rests her forehead on my shoulder, sighs contentedly and I release her hands to snake my arms around her waist as she holds on to my arms. I bury my nose in her soft hair and we don't move for a moment, both of us relishing this quiet moment of intimacy between us. After weeks of fighting with each other and against what we felt, she's here in my arms (fucking finally) and I won't ever let her go again.

She eventually lifts her head and grazes her lips on mine, barely touching. Her hands travel up to my shoulders and then down my back. She's moving slowly and stops just above the waistband of my jeans. I get lost in her brown enthralling stare, and it doesn't take more than that for my cock to grow hard again. I know she can feel it as she presses her hips against me.

"Now that I'm here," she whispers coyly, although there's nothing coy in the way she looks at me. "Would you mind finishing what you started?" She asks and I smile instinctively. My hands travel down her thighs, and then move back up to bring her skirt to her waist, the tip of my fingers grazing her skin. I move them to her ass, my fingers tracing the underline of her panties. I feel her burning up, her breathing becomes labored; she's already dying for me to touch her, her hips moving to feel my cock. She's fucking tantalizing. I follow the lace around her hips and at the apex of her thighs, eliciting a needy moan from her.

"You want my fingers, baby?" I tease, bringing the tip of my index fingers under her panties.

"Yes, please," she begs, pressing her whole body against mine.

"Are you sure about that?" I ask devilishly, sitting down on the couch behind me, leveling my face with her pussy.

"Fuck," she breathes. I haven't even touched her yet and she's already panting. I push on her ass to bring her closer to me, and she places one hand on my shoulder, tangling the other in my hair, and I fucking love it when she does that. I ghost my mouth on her panties, blowing softly so that she can feel the warmth of my breath through the lace, and I notice the shiver running through her.

"So receptive," I whisper. "I love playing with you, _t'es_ _mon petit jouet_." I open my mouth and my teeth come scraping her clit, earning another moan. I just want to devour her, but seeing her lose control at the smallest of my touch is far more enjoyable. I bring one hand in the front of her underwear, hooking my finger inside to push it aside. I keep my eyes fixated on her as she looks down at me hungrily. My tongue darts out of my mouth, licking my lower lip before lightly brushing her clit. She fists her hand in my hair, burning with need, and I want her so badly it almost hurts. I keep pressing my lips softly on her, kissing before grazing my tongue again. I'm gentle, unhurried, and she tries to pull my face closer to her. I grunt, desperate to give her just what she wants, and pull away slightly. I grab her panties at her waist and slowly slide them down her thighs, caressing her skin as I go, until she can step out of them. I lean back on the couch, guiding her to kneel over me and I place another soft kiss on her clit.

"Lift your leg," I command and slide my hand to her knee, helping her keep her balance as she props one foot on the couch. "Those fucking shoes," I growl, tracing the strap of her black pumps around her ankle. I can't play any longer, she's driving me wild and I want to eat her. My mouth assaults the skin of her knee, travelling up the interior of her thigh until I reach her pussy again. But I'm not slow and gentle anymore, I'm simply devouring her, making her moan loudly. I slide one finger inside of her as my tongue keeps playing with her clit. My finger moves in rhythm with my tongue, curling it inside and she pulls at my hair, wanting me even closer. I pull my finger out and grab her ass with both hands, crushing my mouth on her, sucking and thrusting my tongue inside of her. I can't get enough of her, and I devour her until I feel her walls clamping on my tongue. She screams in pleasure, scratching my scalp as she's overcome by her orgasm.

I keep my mouth there as she slowly relaxes, licking softly and making her hips buckle at the contact.

I finally look at her and her eyes are dark with want. She hasn't had enough, she wants me, and I lose control. I swiftly help her resting her knee back on the couch and unbutton my jean, sliding them along with my boxers just enough to release my cock. I grab her hips and slam her back down on me, filling her. I let out a loud grunt, lost in the blissful sensation, and she moans. We're both frantic in our movements as she starts riding me fiercely; I feel her walls tightening again as she takes my cock deep inside her. She feels fucking amazing around me. She's completely wild and I need even more, tightening my grip on her ass.

"Harder," she yells. "Fuck me harder."

A low growl rumbles in my throat and I snake one arm around her waist, one hand behind her head. I lift us from the couch before slamming her back on the coffee table and kneel on the carpet. My hands are clutching her hips again as I pound into her forcefully. She lifts her arms above her head to grab the edge of the table as I thrust, my cock sliding in and out and my hips slamming hard against her ass. I pump a few more times as a second orgasm washes over her and come hard, burying my dick deep inside.

I release her hips and lie down on top of her and she put her arms around me sweetly. In a second the current between us shifts from savage and erotic to sweet and affectionate, and I love it. I turn my head, pulling at the neckline of her shirt to kiss her softly on the neck.

"Welcome back home, _ma puce_," I mumble against her skin, and she chuckles.

"I've never been so glad that I took French in high school," she laughs softly and I join her. I kiss her sweetly again and pull out of her, putting my pants back on before helping her get up from the coffee table.

We meet in the kitchen a little later when we've both cleaned up. I rummage through the fridge to find something to eat, and I freeze when I see her enter the kitchen from the corner of my eyes. She's standing there in tiny boy shorts and a tank top, with a wool sweater that's at least three sizes too big, hanging loosely on her frail shoulders and barely covering her thighs. She's gorgeous.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I ask teasingly, looking at her from head to toe.

"Look who's talking," she points at my bare chest, and I can't repress the smug smile on my face.

"I'm starving, do you want to eat?" I change the subject before I get hard again.

"Sure. Are you cooking?" She asks excitedly, sitting on the kitchen table, propping her feet on a chair.

"I wish I could," I retort, opening the empty fridge wider so that she can judge for herself. "Chinese?"

She nods and grabs her phone to call the Chinese place down the street, and we move back to the couch to wait for the delivery. We sit down facing each other, both leaning on one armrest.

"Can I ask you something?" She starts cautiously. "I don't want to pry, but I'd like to know."

"Go ahead," I simply answer, although I already know what she's going to ask.

"What did Laurie want?"

"Me," I state matter-of-factly. I don't want to lie to her, and I don't have reasons to.

"Oh," she whispers and drops her eyes to her lap, so I immediately reassure her.

"I told her it wasn't mutual. She left," I simply say, and she nods with a content smile. "My turn. Have you ever had sex with Emmett?" I ask lightly and she laughs.

"No, he's like my brother," she answers, her voice still amused. "Talking about siblings, what do you really feel about Alice dating Jasper?" We're apparently running through all the awkward topics, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable talking about it with her.

"I'm happy for them," I answer sincerely. "Jasper's going to propose, by the way."

"That's why he was acting all weird?" She answers pensively. I guess Alice must be suspecting something.

"Probably. What is your favorite food?" I ask and right on cue the door bell rings.

"Right now, Chinese," she laughs and I get up from the couch to answer the door. I walk back to her a minute later with the food and resume my position on the couch, digging in the small boxes.

We eat and keep asking each other random questions about food, clothes, music, movies and it turns out we have a lot in common. There's a lot she doesn't know about European music or movies, as it rarely crosses the Atlantic, and I can't wait to have her discover a few things I'm sure she'd like.

"What's the thing you do best?" She asks me at some point.

"Apart from sex, you mean?" I answer smugly, making her smile. "Probably cook."

"I can't cook," she admits shamefully.

"I kind of figured that out the first night when I saw there was absolutely nothing in the fridge," I tease her, and she hides her face in her hands. She's adorable. "As long as you do my laundry, you'll be fine," I joke.

"Don't even think about it," she retorts as her head snaps up.

"What about you? There has to be something I can take advantage of," I continue playfully.

"No, I'm afraid there's just sex," she answers apologetically, a huge grin on her lips. I can't fucking believe how cute she is.

"How come you were single?" I exclaim, because I truly can't believe that any guy would not want to be with her; and she just raises her shoulders. "What happened with your ex?" I ask more seriously.

"I don't know," she says dismissively. "There wasn't any drama. We just didn't love each other, I guess, so we went our separate ways. I've learned not to hold on to people who don't really care about me," she adds profoundly, and I just nod. I don't want the mood to become heavy, though, so I completely change the subject.

"Favorite color?"

"Green," she replies instantly, and I can't help the smile spreading on my lips.

"Like my eyes, cute," I wink at her. "Are you trying to butter me up?" I add teasingly, and she snorts.

"As if you weren't already eating in the palm of my hand," she counters, biting her lips to keep from laughing.

"That's what you think, huh?" I grab her by her ankles and pull her to me, locking her legs under my arms and launching my fingers on her waist, tickling her. She writhes and tries to get out of my grip, pushing her hands flat on my shoulders, but I'm too strong for her. She's laughing breathlessly, and I love this sound even more than her moans.

I eventually stop, keeping my hands on her waist, and she's panting. We keep our eyes on each other, a huge grin on our lips, and the look in her eyes is so intense it takes my breath away. There's more than lust in them, she's surrendering to me, letting her barriers down. She's mine.

I bend down to plant a soft kiss on her lips and then help her sit straight.

"Time to go to bed," I say and she nods, smiling at me sweetly. We stand up from the couch and I keep her hand in mine as I lead her to my bedroom. I take off my jeans and she drops her sweater on the floor before getting under the covers. I pull her into my arms and run my hands in her hair. I glide my fingers along her jaw to her chin and press my lips on hers tenderly. I kiss her slowly, almost chastely without deepening it, because what I want from her now isn't anything physical. I pull away and she nestles against me, her nose in my neck and our legs entwined. I hold her tight, feeling her warm breath on my skin, and fall asleep almost instantly.

We wake up the next morning with the sound of the alarm. She turns in bed and instinctively snuggles closer to me. I put my arms around her, her face buried in my chest, and she groans. I chuckle at her cuteness and she groans again, making me laugh.

"I'd love to stay in bed with you, _ma puce_, but I have to get up. I can't be late for work," I say softly as I run a finger on her back, and she groans louder. "Do you want to take a shower?" I offer suggestively and she turns her head to me, peeking at me through her hair with a naughty twinkle in her eyes. She doesn't answer but jumps from the bed, taking off her top on her way out. I run after her to the bathroom, my cock already rock solid, and she's already naked, turning the water on in the shower. I take off my boxers and she pulls me under the spray with her, letting out a small shriek as the water is barely warm. I laugh and crash my mouth on hers, pushing her against the tiles. She shrieks again but doesn't break the kiss, lifting her leg to my waist. I grab her ass and lift her off the floor, keeping her against the wall as the water is pouring down on us.

"So I take it you're a morning person," I comment naughtily.

"I'm an any-time-of-the-day person," she retorts, keeping one arm around my neck and reaching between us with the other to grab my cock. She positions me at her entrance and puts her arms back around my neck as I push into her, crushing her against the wall.

"Fuck," she whimpers as I start moving inside of her.

"Is that what you were thinking about, baby, when you watched me shower the first night?" I ask, moving faster.

"Yes," she answers out of breath. "I wanted to get in the shower with you. I wanted to feel you inside me."

"Tell me, how does it feel, now?" I pound into her frantically and I feel her pussy tightening around me. She looks at me lustfully and answers in a low voice.

"Your cock feels so fucking good inside of me."

I growl, her words quickly driving me to my release. I grip her ass tighter, push deeper inside her and I feel her orgasm overtaking her. She screams my name and I come hard after one last thrust.

I try to get my breathing back to normal, and I put her down, sliding out of her. She leans on the wall, her eyes closed, and when she opens them she grins at me, completely satisfied.

"Good morning, baby," she sings.

"Good morning, _ma puce_," I answer, kissing her deeply.

We both quickly shower and get ready, and we leave the apartment at the same time, the smile on our lips never fading.

I arrive at work, but two hours later I'm still unable to focus on my tasks. Analyzing numbers isn't interesting enough to keep my mind from drifting back to Bella. Nothing would be. I can't see her until tonight, and it hits me then that I can't even contact her. We never exchanged phone numbers. I instantly grab my phone and text Alice.

_**Bella's moving back with me. I still don't have her number, though. Give it to me. -E**_

_**I'm going to need a less edited version of that story, but :D ! I'm transferring you her contact info, dumbass. -A**_

A second later I receive another text with Bella's number, and her work and private email addresses. I'm typing frantically on my phone, anxious to hear from Bella, but reply to Alice first.

_**Thx. Talk to her for the woman/long version! -E**_

I don't wait for her answer and immediately send a text to Bella.

_**Do you realize you still haven't given me your phone number?- E**_

_**Looks like you found it on your own… -B**_

_**No thanks to you ;) -E**_

I put my phone down and open my mailbox on my computer. I want to say much more than that to her, and I can't spend the entire day typing on my phone. 

_From: Edward Cullen_

_To: Isabella Swan_

_Subject: Private_

_Bonjour ma puce,_

_I figured it'd look less obvious that I'm not working if I sent you emails instead of texts. _

_First of all: Isabella? You didn't even tell me your real name, I'm hurt!_

_Second, what are you doing Saturday night? I thought that maybe we could go out…?_

_Edward Anthony Cullen,  
>(And yes, that's my real name)<em>

I click send and wait for her to respond, abandoning any idea of working today. I don't have to wait too long before I get a reply and I smile before I even open it. 

_From: Isabella Swan_

_To: Edward Cullen_

_Subject: RE: Private_

_Hi baby, (excuse me for not speaking another tongue and therefore not having some cute foreign pet name for you)_

_Yes, my full name is Isabella Marie Swan. Nobody calls me that, it sounds old. Sorry for misleading you, though. How can I make it up to you? _

_Why are you not working? And does this mean you're not going to let me work either? My boss might not be happy about that. (although I am)_

_A date? Be careful, we might end up doing something right!_

_Bella_

_PS: Your sister is harassing me, she wants "the long version" or something…Thanks!_

I try to repress my smile as I read her words, but I'm sure I'm grinning like an idiot. Whatever I had to do today can wait until Monday; I hit reply instantly. 

_From: Edward Cullen_

_To: Isabella Swan_

_Subject: Very Private_

_Ma puce, (I'm sure you'd be talented with tongues…in fact, I know you are)_

_Isabella could sound sexy, especially whispered in your ear in a certain context…_

_It's your fault if I'm not working. I can't stop thinking about the morning shower, and yesterday, and last week, and…fuck…just so you know, I can't stand up from behind my desk, right now. NSFW_

_I'll talk to your boss if he's a problem…maybe I could even come to his office again._

_I promise it'll be a fucked up date. How about that?_

_Edward_

_PS: I have too much penis for girl talk. It's your genetic duty to deal with her._

I'm fidgeting in my seat, my eyes locked on the screen, waiting for her response. My colleagues are passing by my desk, but I can't bring myself to care whether they notice something. 

_From: Isabella Swan_

_To: Edward Cullen_

_Subject: Very Private, indeed_

_Baby, (saving my tongue skills for other use)_

_I'm starting to like Isabella…I'll need you to test it in context, for final validation._

_Honestly, I can't work either. And I blush every time I walk in Emmett's office. Luckily I'm a girl, so no one can see how NSFW it is in my panties, right now._

_I think a talk with my boss could be a good idea…I have no idea when he'll be there, though, so you'll just have to come by and we'll see._

_Agreed for the date. Agreed for the fucked up ing._

_I texted the whole gang, we're moving my stuff back to your place tonight._

_Ta puce_

_PS: I agree on the large size of your penis._

I read her message and I can't wait to go back home to her. This girl is going to fucking kill me. Just as I'm about to reply, I get a text from her.

_**Got a call from Em. Have to meet him at courthouse ASAP. See you tonight for validation of name and tongue training. –B**_

I put my phone down, a little disappointed that our game has to stop for today. I look back at the screen only to see I have an outlook notification for a meeting in 20 minutes; I had completely forgotten about it. I'm going to have to focus on work after all, but not before text her a reply.

_**Anyway, have a meeting that I had completely forgotten about…entirely because of your tongue skills. See you tonight. -E**_

I take a few minutes to calm myself down and pull out from my desk the files I had prepared yesterday for the meeting. I start reading through it, struggling to get my mind off her, and anxious to see her.

I end up spending hours explaining the risks of a particular investment to someone who doesn't seem to care about losing a large amount of money, and I leave work rather late. When I come back home, no one is there, except Bella and all her belongings. My smile instinctively comes back as I see her in her room, all her boxes piled up in a corner; and she's making her bed.

"You realize you won't sleep in it tonight?" I ask softly, and she smiles, too.

"It doesn't hurt to have it ready, just in case you snore," she counters playfully and I fucking love how she's teasing me all the time.

"I don't snore," I retort. "And I'm not sleeping without you anyway," I add as walk to her, brush my body against her back and snake my arms around her.

"In case you want to sleep in my bed, then?" She answers sweetly.

"That's better," I whisper in her ear, pulling her hair to one side. I slip my hands under her shirt, moving them slowly up her stomach. I trace the underline of her bra, and her body melts against mine. I graze my palms over her breast, feeling her nipples harden through the lace, and she moans as I lick the soft skin under her ear. "Now let's talk about that tongue training, Isabella," I murmur thickly, and she gasps, pressing her ass into my hard cock. I knew she'd love it, although probably not as much as I love having her in my arms.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Thanks for reading!**_

_**I really loved writing this chapter, I hope you loved reading it! **_

_For the French: "t'es mon petit jouet": You're my little toy / play thing..**.more french next chapter!**_

_**Thanks so much for all the love you're sending me, you're all amazing! As is my beta theotherbella, that will never be said enough! **_

**Just a few hours left to vote for Most Scandalous Location in the Public Lovin' Contest! Read my one-shot High School Reunion, and if you like it, vote!**

_**And don't forget to review! ;)**_


	16. What we feel

**Chapter 16 – What we feel**

**BPOV**

"Are you ready, _ma puce_?" Edward yells through the door.

"Just a minute," I yell back from the bathroom.

Tonight is our first date. I have no idea what he has planned, but I'm really excited. I'm sure it will be a great night, since I'll be with him; as amazing as the last day we spent together.

We didn't do much, we spent the morning in bed cuddling and kissing. He eventually insisted that we get out of bed to unpack my things. Our friends helped me bring back all my boxes from Rosalie's apartment, but he wanted all of them to be unpacked, so that I'm officially moved back to his place. I'm happy he wants me here as badly as I do; I couldn't possibly consider leaving again.

I take my time to get ready, curling my long locks, applying some dark eye shadow, mascara and a soft pink lip-gloss. Edward paces back and forth between his bedroom and the kitchen, mumbling incoherently every time he passes by the bathroom door. I finish and look at myself in the mirror one last time before exiting the room. I open the door and walk to the living room, pausing as I wait for him to turn to me.

"Finally! You better look really fucking…" he starts before turning around, but stops mid-sentence as his eyes land on me. His gaze travels from my face down to my cleavage, roaming over my curves in my tight, deep green, long sleeved sweater dress. His eyes move further down and he licks his lower lip hungrily when they reach the hem of the dress mid-thigh. He continues down my legs to my high heels, black leather booties. His stare makes me feel incredibly sexy, I love the way he looks at me. I wait for him to lift his eyes back to mine without saying a word or moving, and take this opportunity to look at him, too. He's wearing dark blue jeans with DC sneakers, a black button down shirt and a black leather jacket.

"Am I overdressed?" I ask worriedly.

"You're fucking perfect," he says as he takes three strides towards me and crashes his lips to mine, his hands on my hips. But as soon as his mouth touches mine, he pulls away with a frown.

"Eww, sticky!"

"I'm sorry, it's the lip-gloss," I explain with a sheepish smile.

"Girls are weird, sometimes," he shakes his head and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand before smiling sweetly at me. "Let's go," he adds and pulls me by the hand to lead me to the entrance. I grab my own leather jacket and purse on the way and we walk to his car, his hand never releasing mine.

"Where are we going?" I inquire as we get in his car.

"It's a surprise," he answers, and I can tell he's as excited as I am by our date.

We drive in silence for a few minutes and he puts his hand on my knee. I instinctively move my leg closer to him, spreading my knees a little.

"Don't start, _ma puce_," he warns playfully, "I'm trying to behave like a gentleman tonight."

"So can I expect you to open the doors for me, pull out my chair, and stuff?" I ask in the same tone.

"If you want me to," he answers almost seriously. "But honestly, that's the kind of thing you do only on first dates, to impress the girl. I'd rather act normally, be myself; and you'll know that the way I treat you tonight will still be the same in years."

I throw a surprised glimpse at him when he mentions still being together in years. Even though we both know this isn't just a fling, saying it out loud makes it real. He turns to me with a sweet smile and squeezes my knee before turning back to the road.

"So you're not really a gentleman?" I continue with the playful tone.

"When I had to get you back I could have bought you flowers or invite you to dinner, but I just fingered your pussy in your boss's office. What do you think?" He counters with a wink, and I just smile in return. He's right, after everything that's happened between us, he doesn't really qualify as the perfect gentleman; nor am I the perfect lady, either.

He parks the car in a dark alley, in a neighborhood that has a bad reputation. I hesitate a second, wondering what we're doing in this part of town, and when I finally move to get the door Edward is already holding it open for me.

"_Mademoiselle_," he purrs, offering me his hand. I take it and he helps me stand up, closing the door behind me.

"What are we doing here?" I ask, a hint of worry seeping through my voice.

"Don't worry, as long as you're with me nothing bad can happen to you," he promises without letting go of my hand.

He leads me towards a huge building and only when we enter do I realize there's a bar inside. The place looks dirty, old, and it's empty; but we can hear the muffled sound of music coming from another room. He turns to face me, pulls my body flush against his, his hands on my hips, and chuckles.

"You look adorable right now," he says almost mockingly. I don't know about adorable, but I'm sure I look confused and lost, because I am. He chuckles and bends down to kiss me, but stops before touching my lips and sighs. "Fucking lip-gloss," he groans and plants a quick kiss on my nose before turning around, gripping my hand again.

We walk to the back of the bar through a dark corridor, the music becoming louder, and stop at the end in front of a huge man with tattoos on his shaved head. He's standing in front of a large metal door, his big arms crossed on his chest.

"IDs, please," he just says.

"James is expecting us," Edward answers firmly. "I'm Edward Cullen." The bouncer simply nods, reaches behind him and opens the door to let us in.

Edward leads me inside another corridor and down a flight of stairs until we arrive in a crowded basement, lit by only a few strobing lights. The walls are covered with graffiti, the air replaced by cigarette smoke, and the crowd is dancing frantically to the rhythm blasting loudly through the giant speakers. I turn to Edward who's eyeing me cautiously, waiting for my reaction.

"Electro?" I ask excitedly, smiling at him, and his eyes light up.

"Fuck yes!" He exclaims, returning my smile.

We talked about music the other night, and he told me that was his kind of music. I actually like it, too, even though I haven't had the opportunity to listen to it that much. Yet I never imagined he'd bring me to a place like this, especially on a first date.

"I _am_ fucking overdressed!" I yell as I look at the people around me, before realizing that they are all dressed differently; there isn't one style in particular amongst them. I shouldn't be so surprised that this kind of place doesn't require a specific dress code.

"If you want to go, just tell me, ok?" he says in my ear and I shake my head no. I've never been in a place like this, and I really want to stay.

He drags me through the crowd until we reach the bar, waving at the blond barman who seems to recognize him immediately.

"Edward, bro, how are you doing?" He asks cheerfully, walking around the bar to come shake Edward's hand, before turning to me. "You must be Bella, nice to meet you. I'm James." I shake his hand and Edward snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me against his side possessively; I have to admit I rather like it.

"We're good, man," he says as cheerfully. "Got me what I wanted?"

"Sure, come on," James nods and motions for us to follow him as he starts walking. Edward pushes me forward, resting his hands on my waist as he walks closely behind me. James leads us to the other end of the basement, in a confined space behind a sheer curtain. It's like a small living room, with a couch, a coffee table and a mini fridge in the corner. There's a dim light coming from a large candle on the table, and the music isn't so loud between those three walls, so we can actually hear each other speak.

"I gotta run, tonight's crazy. But I'll be back a little later, we'll have a drink," he asks, although it doesn't really sound like a question, and walks back to the bar.

I turn to Edward incredulously, and he just stares at me with a smug expression on his face.

"I promised you it'd be fucked up, didn't I?" He comments as he takes off his jacket and sits down.

"How do you even know a place like this?" I ask as I take mine off too and sit next to him.

"James was in college with Jasper and I. This place belongs to his cousin; we use to come here almost every weekend. The place moved around a lot, it's kind of illegal, so as soon as too many people know about it, they have to change location so they don't get busted. But we were always kept in the loop, and the VIP room was ours," he says proudly as he relaxes into the couch, stretching his arms on the back.

"I'm really surprised, I didn't picture you in that kind of environment," I admit, and it's evident in my voice that's it's a pleasant surprise.

"And look," he says as he leans over the arm of the couch to open the mini fridge. It's stacked with alcohol: two bottles of Jack Daniels, two bottles of Vodka, sodas, red bull, apple juice, and beer. "And he's going to bring us the best buffalo wings you've had in your life." He gets two beers for us, closes the mini-fridge and pauses for a moment, his expression becoming more serious yet relieved at the same time. "I wasn't really sure I should bring you here. I wasn't sure you'd like it," he confesses earnestly as he opens the bottles and hands one to me.

"Are you kidding me?" I reply in disbelief. "This place is awesome. Although, it's very different from the frat parties I used to go to when I was in college."

"You were a frat girl?" He asks teasingly.

"Not really," I clarify. "Emmett was in a fraternity. He just invited me to all the parties."

As we keep talking we move gradually closer to each other on the couch so that we don't have to speak so loud. Our proximity is weakening my focus on the conversation; I'm enveloped in his smell again, and I want to crawl on his lap and have his hands all over me.

"How old are you, by the way?" He suddenly asks, visibly surprised to realize he still didn't know.

"I'm twenty-seven. You?" I ask back and his smile widens.

"Twenty-nine," he simply says.

"When was the last time you came here?"

"I usually came to this place every time I was back in the States; I guess it's been a while. But you're actually the first girl I've brought with me," he adds warmly.

"Really? Why is that?" I ask, astounded that he never brought his fiancée, and curious as to why.

"I don't know," he shrugs, "I guess it's the first time I've had a girlfriend I feel like I can share this part of myself with." His eyes are boring into mine, the intensity of his gaze echoing the meaning of his words, and I feel my temperature rising again. He grabs the back of my neck, pulls me closer to him, but stops right before kissing me.

"For fuck's sake, wipe that fucking gloss off," he sighs exasperatedly, and I can't help but laugh. I grab a tissue in my purse and wipe my mouth clean before turning back to him with a smile. He captures my mouth with his, his lips slowly grazing mine. His tongue slides between my lips and comes stroking mine before pulling back. I'm already breathless.

"_J'adore tes lèvres_," he whispers as he traps my lower lip between his teeth; "_J'adore ta langue_," he continues, caressing my tongue with his, and I moan. "Stop moaning, _ma puce_, _tu me rends dingue_."

I can't refrain from whimpering against his mouth at the sound of his voice and the sensuality of his words. He grabs my neck tighter, devouring my mouth with his, his hands gripping the side of my thigh as his fingers slip underneath my dress. I recline against the back of the couch as he bends over me, keeping his upper body close to mine, but he pulls back instantly as we hear someone clear his throat next to us. I sit straight on the couch only to see James in front of us, holding a big plate of buffalo wings and French fries. He places them on the small table, looking at Edward with a smirk on his face, and walks back to the bar without saying a word. Edward takes another sip of his beer nonchalantly, but I see him eyeing me from the corner of his eye.

"He didn't seem too surprised to find you in that position. I bet it must have happened a lot," I tease and he chuckles.

"It has happened quite a lot, you're right," he says unrepentantly as we start eating. "I never brought anyone here, but there were plenty of girls to choose from as soon as we arrived."

"So you were a manwhore?" I ask curiously.

"Not really," he starts explaining casually. "I wasn't thinking about it at the time, and I certainly wasn't looking for it. Girls came to me, I wasn't going to reject them; although there weren't as many as you might think," he continues in mock defense, making me laugh.

"Have you ever had sex in here?" I ask again and he looks at me, amazed that I don't seem bothered by this. It was a long time ago, and I'm not jealous by nature, anyway. A naughty glint flashes in his eyes as the corner of his mouth lifts in a sexy smile, and he licks his lips slowly.

"Yes, I have; and I fucking love that you would think of that," he says almost admiringly. "And I'm sure you've had your share of frat boys, too," he adds challengingly. I'm glad he doesn't expect me to be some kind of pure, sweet innocent girl, because I'm really not.

"Well, not as many as you might think," I copy his turn of phrase. "Most of them were afraid Emmett would kick their ass."

"Understandable," he admits, picking another wing from the bucket. "He threatened me, too, by the way; but that was before I told him how I felt about you."

"How do you feel about me? And don't put my hand on your junk this time," I joke, but he doesn't laugh. He keeps his eyes on me and seems to be deliberating on something in his head before answering.

"I think I feel a certain way about you," he finally says earnestly, "but I'm not quite ready to say it yet."

My heart melts, I understand exactly what he means. What I feel for him is so much more than physical attraction, I feel safe with him; and we couldn't even consider living away from each other for more than a week. We know what we feel, but saying it out loud is a huge step.

He wipes his hands on a napkin and turns to face me, snaking one arm around my waist. I try to swallow the piece of chicken I have in my mouth, moving back as he leans closer to me, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"I'm eating!" I exclaim in a laugh, resting my wrists on his shoulders, and being careful not to touch him with my dirty hands. He just chuckles and grabs the back of my head, keeping me still as he plants lots of small kisses on my cheek, my chin and down my neck. I can't help but laugh and he pulls back, leaving one last tiny kiss on the tip of my nose before resuming his position, letting me grab a towel to wipe my hands and mouth.

We keep talking and laughing, telling each other stories about our years in college, and sharing embarrassing stories about Jasper and Emmett that we'll enjoy divulging during our next party with everyone. I've tried to avoid subjects that could be sore for him, but somehow the conversation becomes very serious when he mentions Jasper and Alice probably getting married.

"You've never thought about getting married?" He asks softly, but it's evidently a troubling topic for him.

"No," I answer evenly. "With Paul, my ex, we never even talked about it. I guess we both knew it would never happen for us."

"But will you want to, at some point?" He continues his interrogation. His voice is very sweet; he obviously wants to know my opinion about this, more than trying to find out if we could actually have a future together.

"I don't know; I'm not sure," I reply honestly. "I think you can take care of the person you love and be happy without being married. A wedding is not the proof that you love someone; not to me at least."

"I like that way of thinking," he comments pensively.

"I'd love to have kids, though, someday," I continue casually. He doesn't seem uncomfortable talking about this, the conversation feels oddly natural.

"A miniature you, she'd be the cutest thing," he says with a sweet smile, and I can't help but giggle at his assumption that it'd be a girl.

"It's not something I plan, though," I clarify, "not like these women who want to have a kid by the time they're thirty or some shit."

"Glad to hear it," he replies dryly and we both laugh.

"You don't want kids?" I ask more seriously.

"I don't know. Laurie kept pressuring me to have one and I always said no, that it was too soon. I figured I didn't really want kids, but maybe unconsciously I knew it wasn't supposed to happen with her." It's his turn to copy my phrase, and I nod in understanding before I answer.

"Maybe someday you'll be with someone you'll want to have a baby with."

We keep our eyes locked on each other, a smile on our lips. I wasn't intentionally referring to me, but my mind just went there on its own accord, and I know his did too. He looks at me with the most intense stare I've ever seen in his eyes.

"Fucking shit," he breathes, shaking his head slightly as if he just had the biggest revelation of his life, as if he had just found a treasure, and his eyes don't leave me. I know what I witness so clearly in his stare, that feeling he talked about earlier and that he's not ready to voice out loud. But it's there, I feel it too, and I can't hold back the huge grin on my lips. I have no idea how this could have happened so quickly, but it did.

He lifts his hand and brushes his thumb on my cheek before pulling me to him and kissing me tenderly. He deepens the kiss, his tongue thrusting into my mouth as his hand comes grazing my thigh, and in a second I'm already lost in the sensation. I moan and twist my fingers in his hair, bringing myself closer to him. His hand grips my thigh tighter and he grunts, biting my lip before moving away.

"Come on," he says as he gets up from the couch and holds his hand to me. "If we don't get out of here, I won't be able to refrain from fucking you on that couch."

"Such a gentleman," I comment playfully and he winks at me.

We move to the main room and make our way through the crowd to stop in front of the DJ. Edward stands behind me, his body against mine and his arms around my waist. We dance pressed against one another, swaying our bodies in rhythm to the beat of the music. Edward bends down to my ear from time to time to tell me which song the DJ is mixing, and mentioning that it's French, most of the time.

I get lost in the music; I let it fill my ears, my whole body. I close my eyes and rest my head on Edward's shoulder, lifting my arms up and reaching behind to grab his hair to keep him close to me. His hands roam all over my body, our movements become more and more indecent, but I can't bring myself to care about the people around us, about anything except Edward touching me. We keep dancing for a long time until I can't take it anymore and I need to be even closer to him. Right now his idea of fucking on that couch doesn't sound so bad after all.

I turn around and kiss him passionately, pressing my body against his as he grabs my ass and grinds his hard cock against me. After a few seconds he pushes me away, grips me by the wrist and almost runs through the crowd back to the VIP room. He grabs our stuff without releasing me and moves back to the entrance of the basement. We exit the club without a word, walk quickly to his car and as soon as we come next to it he slams my back against the passenger door. He lifts one hand in my hair, pulling at it so that I'm looking up at him. His whole body his pressed against mine, crushing me into the car door, his other hand clutching my hip tightly.

"I need to tell you," he starts breathlessly, his eyes boring into mine. "This has been the most perfect date I've ever been on. And I wanted to tell you this before I fuck you into oblivion, that way you know it's not about sex," he says, and even though he didn't chose the most appropriate way to say it, it makes me smile. I love that he's not a gentleman. "Being here with you felt so natural, so simple. It's so easy to be myself with you, and you're amazing," he adds and pauses for a second.

I can tell he's about to say the words; those three words that have been dancing in his eyes and hanging on his lips for the entire night, and on mine too. Even though he's not ready, and I'm probably not either, we both feel the same way. I lift my hand and put it on his cheek, tracing his jawline with my thumb.

"Me too," I simply say with a smile and he kisses me savagely.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Thank you for reading...and I'm very sorry for the late update! It's been hectic over here, with Christmas and all... and I'm sorry I didn't even have time to reply to all the amazing reviews :(**_

_**Thank ou for still being here with me, I love you all so much!**_

_**Translation of the French:**_

_J'adore tes lèvres: **I love your lips**_

_J'adore ta langue: **I love your tongue**_

_tu me rends dingue: **You drive me crazy**_

_**Please keep reviewing, I love hearing what you think!**_


	17. The Words

**Chapter 17 – The words**

**BPOV**

I can tell he's about to say the words; those three words that have been dancing in his eyes and hanging on his lips for the entire night, and on mine too. Even though he's not ready, and I'm probably not either, we both feel the same way. I lift my hand and put it on his cheek, tracing his jawline with my thumb.

"Me too," I simply say with a smile and he kisses me savagely.

His hand is gripping my hair, tugging at it and forcing my head to the side. I bury my fingers in his hair, scratching his scalp and being as forceful as he is. Our tongues are battling, we're both out of breath, desperately trying to bring each other closer. His hand trails from my hip down to my thigh, guiding me to lift my leg and allowing him to step closer. He moves against me, rocking his hips and pushing his cock between my thighs, the sounds of our moans muffled by our desperate kiss.

"I need to be inside of you so fucking badly," he breathes against my lips as he grinds against me, letting me feel how hard he is for me.

"I need you, too," I whimper, and before I can say anything else he pulls me away from the car, opens the door for me and pushes me inside the car. He moves quickly to his side and starts driving as soon as he's in his seat.

"How fast can you drive?" I'm writhing in my seat, completely overcome with lust and desire for him. I want him so much I can't possibly wait until we're back at home.

"Not fucking fast enough," he growls, and shoves his hand between my thighs. I spread my legs wide to give him access and he moves instantly to my panties, slipping his fingers inside.

"You're so fucking wet already. I can't wait to get my dick inside you." He thrusts his middle finger in my pussy, the palm of his hand pressing against my clit and I place my hand on the bulge in his pants, stroking is cock through the fabric. His gaze turns back and forth between the road and me as he's pumping his finger faster; I'm so turned on that I'm getting close to my orgasm quickly. His finger curls inside and a wave of pleasure washes over me. I take a second to enjoy it but push his hand away from me almost instantly, winking at him as the smug expression on his face is replaced by a questioning look.

"Keep your eyes on the road," I command in a sultry voice as I get on my knees in my seat, facing him. I reach for his belt and unbuckle it as he watches me with wide eyes.

"Holy fuck, you're so fucking perfect, _ma puce_," he murmurs throatily as I unbutton his jeans and pull his hard cock out of his boxers, taking him into my mouth. I prop one hand on the edge of the seat to keep me still and stroke his length with the other, following my lips. Edward is breathing heavily as I take his dick completely in before releasing him with a swirl of my tongue. His hand travels down my back and he pulls at my dress to reveal my ass. He slips his hand inside my panties from behind, running the tip of his finger along my slit and I rock my hips to follow the slow movements of his finger. My back arches, I want more. I'm dying to have him inside of me. I suck him harder and faster, and he hisses. Suddenly his hand moves to my hair and he grabs it firmly, trying to stop my movements.

"Fuck! Slow down, you're going to make me cum," he says breathlessly, and I hear the sound of his hand gripping the steering wheel tighter.

His words, combined with the entire situation, are so dirty so I can't help but moan. I stay still, my ass up in the air and the head of his cock between my lips, until he regains control of himself. But he doesn't release my hair; his grip tightens, he holds me firmly in place and he starts lifting his hips slowly to slide his cock into my mouth. He sits back down before pushing up between my lips again and I can feel the car going even faster.

"Fuck, Bella. Your mouth feels so fucking good," he grunts and sits back in his seat again, pushing on the back of my head for me to take his entire length in my mouth. I start sucking hard again, and suddenly the car stops. He yanks at my hair to make me sit back in my seat and starts putting his pants back on.

"I'll fuck you in the car some other time, _ma puce_. Get out," he orders and opens his door. I pull my dress down and follow him out.

"Why not in the car?" I ask, and even to my own ears I sound like a whiny little girl. He chuckles and snakes his arm behind me as we walk to the entrance of the building.

"It's our first date. The least I can do is fuck you in private," he jokes, sliding his hand down to my ass as he pushes me forward to go faster.

"See, you _are_ a gentleman, after all," I joke back and he laughs.

We practically run back to the apartment door, both of us panting in anticipation. He opens the door and lets me enter first. As soon as he's inside he grabs my arm to turn me around, bangs the door shut and slams my back against it. His body is against mine in a split second, his mouth assaulting mine, his hands lifting my dress to my waist. I drop my purse to the floor, we both take off our jacket and I immediately unbutton his jeans again.

"You want my cock, _ma puce_?" He asks in a throaty voice as I push his jeans and boxers down in one swift move.

"Fuck, yes, baby. I want your cock inside of me," I answer desperately. A low grunt rumbles in his throat as he clutches my panties in his fist and tears them apart in one violent pull. I gasp, a wicked glint crossing his eye, and I lift my leg over his hip.

"Take it, _ma puce_," he murmurs as he pushes his dick inside of me slowly until his entire length is buried inside. "Take all of it."

"Fuck, Edward, so good," I moan and he stops his movements, resting is forehead on my shoulder and panting heavily. I try to move my hips but he's holding me in place, and I can't see his face. "Are you ok, Edward?"

He chuckles and lifts his head, smiling at me.

"It's all your fault, Bella. You're making me lose control completely," he explains without moving, apart from his lips ghosting over mine. "I'm just trying to make it last longer than the 20 seconds it would take you to make me come."

I can't hold back the loud laugh escaping my throat. Honestly, I find it adorable that he would admit this, and I'm also rather proud to have that effect on him.

"Don't be so smug about it, babe. I can make you lose control, too," he counters, pinching my butt playfully to make me stop.

"In less than 20 seconds, _chéri_?" I tease him and his eyes snap up to mine. His expression is halfway between excitement and adoration.

"Is that a challenge?"

I just smile and in a split second he's out of me and has me turn around against the door. He snakes one arm under my knee, so that he's holding the doorknob and my leg is draped over his wrist; and the other one around my waist, his finger stroking my clit. His body is crushed to my back, his cock between my lips again. I instinctively push my ass into him, keeping my hands flat against the door, and he slides his cock inside of me.

"You never answered my question, Bella," he whispers in my ear. "Do you want me to fuck you good and hard?" My heart skips a beat and I just moan. "I'll take that as a yes." He pulls out of me almost completely, presses the palm of his hand on my clit, his fingers on either side of his cock, and slams back inside forcefully. I let out a scream and he pulls out very slowly before thrusting again, and he doesn't stop this time.

He's going as fast as he can, as fast as I can take it, pounding into me violently and I've never felt anything so intense. I feel his cock hit deep inside of me, he's crushing me against the door and his hand is pressing on my clit every time he thrusts. I'm quickly overcome by all the pleasure he's giving me and I scream his name as he keeps pounding into me, our bodies banging against the door. My knee threatens to give up under me, my temperature rises and I'm sweating under my dress. I'm about to explode.

My pussy clamps around his cock and he releases my clit only to snake his arm under my shoulder and behind my neck. He holds me firmly in place and shifts slightly, hitting a different spot inside as he's thrusting at a different angle. He thrusts harder, faster, until I'm overcome by another overpowering orgasm and he comes inside of me with one last hard push, grunting loudly in my ear.

We're both breathing heavily; my heart is still beating very fast. Edward releases my neck and helps me put my leg on the floor without pulling out of me. He locks his arms around my waist, holding me close to him in a tight hug, leaving small tender kisses on my neck.

"I really enjoy fucking you when you're still half dressed. It makes you look very naughty," he murmurs playfully before biting my earlobe; and I can't help but laugh.

A few minutes later we're both ready to go to bed. I crawl under the covers and nestle against him, and he pulls me into his arms instantly, his fingers tracing small circles on my back.

"Bella," he starts in a low voice, "what I said earlier, even though it wasn't the most romantic way to say it, it was the truth. Tonight was amazing."

"Yes, it was," I simply answer as I snuggle closer to him. He buries his nose in my hair, inhales deeply, and I fall asleep almost instantly.

I wake up to the tingling feeling of hot breath blown on my shoulder. I stir, slowly coming back to consciousness, and feel Edward's body pressed behind mine, spooning me. A smile forms on my lips instinctively, and I sigh contentedly. Waking up in his arms is the most wonderful feeling. My head is resting on his right bicep and he's holding my hand in his. His left hand is grazing the skin of my arm, my shoulder, my neck. He's playing with the strap of my top with the tip of his fingers, his lips ghosting over my shoulder. My body reacts before I'm even fully awake and I instinctively push my ass into his already hard cock.

"Bonjour, _ma puce_," he purrs in my ear. His hand travels down to my waist and he brings me even closer to him. "Do you know what I have planned for you today?"

"No," I answer meekly, a little disappointed that he's not pushing his hips into me.

"I'm going to take care of you, of all your needs, all day long," he says, and even though he isn't saying the words, I can hear the adoration in his voice. "First I'll go get you some breakfast," he starts and I just nod in acquiescence. "Then, I'll probably fuck you in the kitchen, because I've wanted to do that for a while now," he continues, brushing his lips on my shoulder. "I'll let you get some rest, and in the meantime I'll cook for you. And once you've eaten, I'll spend the entire afternoon making love to you until your legs are too weak to hold you," he concludes, and I gasp at his choice of word. He notices it and tightens his hold on me, keeping me flush against him, and I feel his heart hammering in his chest against my back.

"Perfect plan," I just whisper and I feel the smile forming on his lips against my skin.

"You stay here, I'm going to get you something to eat," he says cheerfully, kissing me on the shoulder once more before getting up from the bed and going to the bathroom. I don't move from the bed but I hear him move across the apartment and open the front door to get out.

I lay there unable to fall back asleep. I can't repress the smile on my lips as images of last night with Edward flash in my head. It really was the perfect date, even though it was more than unconventional.

I'm pulled out from my reverie by a knock on the door, and I wonder who that might be. I doubt Edward managed to lock himself out. Maybe it's Alice requesting a full debrief of last night…I walk to the door, grabbing the shirt Edward was wearing last night on my way, open it without thinking and stand there frozen in embarrassment as the person behind the door is neither Edward nor Alice.

It's a tall girl who seems to be about my age, with long blond hair and deep blue eyes. She's wearing a dress, high heels, and a lot of makeup, as if she was going somewhere special. She seems even more surprised to see me than I am to see her, and I don't understand why at first.

"Who are you?" She asks in a cold tone, almost reproachful, as if I shouldn't be here. She's looking at me from head to toe and it hits me. It's Laurie.

"What are you doing here?" I reply defensively, not bothering to answer her question.

"Excuse me?" She almost shrieks, peeking inside the apartment. "I'm here to see Edward, please," she asks in a fake sweet voice, feigning politeness.

"He's not here," I retort harshly.

"Then I'll wait for him," she declares as she takes a step forward, trying to enter the apartment. But I put my hands on the doorframe to block her.

"You're not coming inside, Laurie," I state firmly and her eyes snap up to mine; she's visibly torn between anger and shock. She remains silent for a few seconds and I see the change in her eyes, understanding register in her cold stare.

"Don't you dare say my name; talk to me as if you knew me," she counters warningly, and from the tone of her voice, I get the strange feeling that she knew about me before she saw me here. "Who do you think you are? You're just some slut he decided to bang to get back at me, nothing more." Her voice rises, she looks like she's almost panicking. "You've known him for what? A month? Don't be stupid enough to believe it's more important than five years of relationship, of love; more important than an engagement." She seems more lost than actually angry, she doesn't stop to even breathe, and I could almost feel bad for her. Almost. "Take your clothes and go back to your place because- "

"Shut the fuck up, Laurie," I cut her off, and it's my turn to yell without letting her say a word. "I know who you are, I know everything there's to know about you, how you hurt him, how you deceived him," I drop my hands from the door frame and take a step toward her, making her step back. Her eyes are wide with shock, red with tears menacing to spill, but I don't care and my voice keeps rising. "I will not let you get anywhere near him. You've had five years to try to make him happy but you just alienated him from everyone he loved, and you broke him. Now it's my turn to take care of him and I'll do whatever I can to erase all the shit you've put him through. You lost him, so get the fuck away from him because he's mine, now." I pause a second to take my breath, moving closer to her again and ready to push her out the building if I need to, but I'm startled by a man's voice yelling.

"Bella!"

We both jump in shock and turn our heads to the end of the corridor only to see Edward standing there, a bag in his hand, and a shocked expression on his face.

"Edward, I-" Laurie starts in a sickeningly sweet tone, but he doesn't let her say more.

"She told you to shut the fuck up," he snaps at her, his eyes shooting daggers at her. I can't bring myself to look at her; I can't tear my gaze away from him. He finally looks at me and his face is hard, unreadable.

He takes a few confident strides towards us and comes straight in front of me, putting his hand on my waist. He doesn't really stop, forcing me to walk back inside the apartment, closing the door in a loud bang as soon as we've entered. He drops the bag on the floor, takes off his jacket and drops it too, his eyes never leaving mine, and for a second I'm afraid that he might be angry at me for overstepping.

"A couple of things that I want to make clear," he starts in a firm voice. "I'm the one who was supposed to kick her out, and I hope you know that I would have if I had been there." I relax instantly when I hear his words; I'm not the one he's angry at. His green eyes are locked on mine, piercing and intense, begging me to understand. "None of what she said is even remotely true. I've never been as serene with her, I've never wanted her as much as I want you, I've never even spoken French to her," he adds, and the surprise must be evident on my face because he immediately explain further. "Not one word, I never felt comfortable enough, I guess. But I am with you. I'm happy with you."

I don't have time to answer, he lifts his hands to the nape of my neck of crashes his lips to mine. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him back before pulling away slightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you handle the situation," I admit, but he just shakes his head.

"I'm sorry I obviously didn't make it clear enough last time that she thought she could come back," he replies between kisses. "Although I loved hearing you say that I'm yours." He pauses for a second with the biggest grin on his lips, the adoration he feels for me clear in his sparkling eyes, and finally he speaks again. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I answer in a sigh, relieved to finally be able to let out the words we've been trying to hold back since yesterday.

"One last thing, though," he says in a stern voice. "Since you're mine, I forbid you to ever open the door dressed like this again," he says as he moves his hand under my shirt to lightly slap my ass. I pretend not to care, even though I love his possessiveness, and snort.

"Even though I'm yours, you can't forbid-" I start but he captures my mouth with his, effectively silencing me and I feel him chuckle against my lips.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry I'm so awful at updating since New Year...You have no idea how chaotic my life is right now!**

**I didn't even have time to reply to the amazing reviews again...but I'd rather use the little free time I have writing the next chapters ;)**

**Thank you all very much for waiting, reading and reviewing. And thanks to my beta theotherbella who's so great she looked over 3 chapters in a row...yes that means the next 2 chapters are already ready ! ;)**

**Keep telling me what you think!**


	18. Planning

**Chapter 18 – Planning**

**EPOV**

I walk back to my apartment with a bag of French pastries in my hand and a goofy smile on my lips. I've never been so happy in my life. Bella has an incredible effect on me, I have this peculiar feeling that I can finally breathe when she's with me.

Last night was the best date I'd ever been on, and to make our relationship even more perfect, with her I'm having the best sex I've ever had in my life. I'm looking forward to spending the day with her like I never have with anyone else. I know she'd love it if cooked for her, and I can't wait to spend hours kissing her and caressing her. I want to make love to her, cherish her the way she deserves.

I was a little anxious about her reaction when I uttered the four letter word this morning. It could have been too soon, but her physical response disclosed that she felt exactly the same way, as if I couldn't already tell from the way she looked at me last night.

I have those three fucking word burning my lips, and I know I won't last long before I tell her. I don't know how this could have happened so quickly, but it did.

I walk inside the building and make my way up the stairs, eager to go back to her, but stop dead in my tracks at the end of the hallway as I hear Laurie's voice yelling, undoubtedly at Bella. I freeze in shock and listen to what nonsense she's spitting out; clearly she's delusional. I'm about to run to her and throw her the fuck out of here, but I hear Bella tell her to shut the fuck up. I know I should go to them, but for some reason I can't move. Shock, anger, all those mixed feelings are pinning my body on the spot, and all I can do is listen to Bella defend herself, defend me.

I finally take a few steps forward and they're in front of me on the hallway, a few feet away. Truthfully, my eyes only see Bella. She's wearing my shirt, and apparently not much more, and possessiveness builds up inside of me; no one but me should be allowed to see her in that state of undress.

Her stance is menacing, even though she's so petite. She's yelling at Laurie, her face set into a threatening scowl, but her words are the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

"Get the fuck away from him because he's mine, now," she warns and my body reacts before I even realize.

"Bella!" I yell, startling both of them. They jump in surprise and turn their heads to me, a shocked expression on their face.

"Edward, I-" Laurie starts in a sickeningly sweet tone, but I don't let her say more.

"She told you to shut the fuck up," he snaps at her, and only looking at her is making my stomach churn. I'm livid, how dare she come here and yell at _ma puce_.

I turn my head to Bella and her face is hard, unreadable. I take a few strides towards her and put my hand on her tiny waist. I don't even stop, I just push her backwards to the apartment, closing the door in a loud bang as soon as we've entered. I don't give a fuck about Laurie, I just worry about Bella.

I drop the bag on the floor, take off my jacket and drop it too. I keep my eyes on hers, and she remains silent; for a second I'm afraid that she's angry at me for allowing Laurie to believe she still had a chance. I need her to understand that it couldn't be further from the truth.

"A couple of things that I want to make clear," I start in a firm voice. "I'm the one who was supposed to kick her out, and I hope you know that I would have if I had been there." She relaxes instantly and I know she's reassured. I never break eye-contact and I drown in her brown stare. I explain to her how much more she means to me than Laurie ever did, and I see clearly in her eyes that she already knows. I don't give her time to answer and crash my lips on hers.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you handle the situation," she apologizes, but I just shake my head.

"I'm sorry I obviously didn't make it clear enough last time that she thought she could come back," I reply between kisses. "Although I loved hearing you say that I'm yours." I pause for a second with the biggest grin on my lips, revelling in the adoration and anticipation I witness in her gaze before I finally speak again, before I finally allow myself to say it. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she answers in a sigh, as if it was a struggle for her to hold those words back, and my heart skips a beat. I know exactly how it feels.

"One last thing, though," I add in a stern voice. "Since you're mine, I forbid you to ever open the door dressed like this again." I slap her ass playfully for good measure and she just snorts, even though I notice the playful hint in her eyes.

"Even though I'm yours, you can't forbid-" she starts but I capture her mouth with mine, effectively silencing her. I feel her smile against my lips and I can't help but chuckle.

I'm about to lift her off the floor and take her to the bedroom to make love to her like I promised when her stomach growls, reminding me of the next part of my initial plan. I take step back and she whines, trying to keep me close to her.

"You need to eat, _ma puce_," I laugh softly, bending down to retrieve the bag of pastries I dropped on the floor. "You need strength and energy for what I'm going to do to you today," I add with a wink.

She lets out a low humph sound and follows me to the kitchen with a pout. She sits down on a chair and starts digging in the small paper bag. She remains silent for a few moments and I notice a change in her stance. She's clearly ruminating over something, it's visibly troubling her.

"Something wrong?" I ask worriedly.

"It's just a tiny detail bothering me. I don't really want to keep talking about her, but out of curiosity…" she starts but I cut her off. I don't want her to be scared of talking to me.

"You can ask me anything you want, Bella. I have nothing to hide. Not to you," I assure.

"From the way Laurie talked to me, I had the strange impression that she already knew about me…" she trails off. Even though she didn't really formulate it as a question, I know I have to answer.

"She did," I state casually.

"How?"

"I kind of told her when she came last week," I explain, eyeing Bella cautiously as I know this could very well upset her. But she doesn't seem to take it badly. "Well, it was implied in my answers to her, and she understood."

"We weren't even together," she exclaims, and once again I distinguish the interrogation in her statement.

"I guess I already knew," I answer earnestly, smiling at her.

She gets up from her chair and stands in front of me, her eyes deep and intense on me. She looks determined and I feel powerless under her gaze.

I drag my chair away from the table allowing her to straddle my lap, but she doesn't move from her spot. She reaches under her shirt and slides her underwear down her legs very slowly. I watch her in awe, my cock instantly rock solid at the sight of this incredibly sexy woman. She leans over me, kissing me softly on the lips and reaching for the buttons of my jeans.

"Make love to me," she begs, her voice sounding resolute and desperate at the same time. I want to answer but she's so mesmerizing that my voice catches in my throat. She unbuttons my jeans, pulling them down to my knees along with my boxers, and she seats on top of me. She props her feet on the bars on each side of the chair and shifts slightly so that her wet pussy is positioned on my cock. I inhale sharply at the sensation and try not to move, letting her take control. She pulls at my t-shirt, getting it off me and throws it across the kitchen floor.

The expression on her face is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, a mix of lust and love, of surrender and fire. I grab her neck and pull her to me, kissing her passionately. It try to convey how much I feel for her in that kiss, because the feeling is so intense it can't be described with words. I slide my other hand under her shirt and groan as I come in contact with her tank top. She laughs softly and before I can say anything she slides her arms inside the shirt, taking off the top and bringing it out by the sleeve as she lets her arms out. She throws her top on the floor too before placing her hands on my shoulders.

"Do you think we'll ever have sex fully naked?" I joke as I undo a few buttons of my shirt she's wearing to reveal her perky breasts and the soft skin of her shoulder.

"Who cares?" She breathes as I grab her hips and lift her off me just enough to get my cock at her entrance, and push her back down on me. She grips the back of my head to pull me to her, and I trail my lips on her neck, her shoulder, down to her breast. I flick her nipple with the tip of my tongue as she starts moving on me. I keep one hand firmly on her ass, guiding her as she takes my cock deep inside her pussy and releases it almost completely. She moves slowly, languidly, her hips rocking back and forth.

Suddenly she puts her hand flat on my chest and pushes me away, forcing me to lie back on the chair. Her eyes roam over my torso, she's looking at me hungrily, a small smile lifting the corner of her mouth, and she starts tracing the lines of my tattoo again. She studies my body, my skin without stopping the movements of her hips.

I've never felt so exposed with a woman, yet so desirable. The way she looks at me, she's surrendering to me, she belongs to me, and I feel powerful. I can't help but smile and when she finally lifts her eyes to mine, she grins, biting her lower lip.

"Don't look so smug, _chéri_," she whispers and bends down to kiss me, reaching behind me to hold the back of the chair. Her chest is flush against mine, and she just moves her hips slightly, the head of my cock buried inside her. I know she's having as much pleasure as I do; she's sighing softly into my mouth and her tongue comes stroking mine. She keeps a steady rhythm, deliciously slow and she's moaning; just tiny little noise, more high-pitched than usual. Those little sounds are even sexier than her screams, if possible, and it's driving me crazy. Her lips are soft on mine, unhurried, her tongue darting out of her mouth to gently caress mine. My hands travel all over her body, caressing her legs, her back, her cute little ass.

"_T'as la peau tellement douce_," I murmur against her lips, and I feel the shiver running down her spine.

She whimpers and bites my lower lip as I lock my arms around her, holding her tightly to me. I push my hips upward to meet her movements and she whimpers again, her little noises becoming louder. I cherish her the best I can, caressing every inch of her skin. Her chest is heaving against mine, her warmth seeping through the fabric of the shirt, her heart beating fast. I'm completely enchanted by her, overwhelmed by her touch, her smell, her warmth. She's panting on top of me, and I move my hands to her ass to guide her, rocking my hips and keeping the same leisurely pace she has set for us.

I feel her walls tightening around my cock and her kiss becoming more urgent. She spreads her thighs wider, taking me even deeper inside of her and her walls clamp around my cock.

There's nothing more beautiful than to see her come; more arousing than to make her come.

I move in and out of her slowly as her hands caress my shoulders, my arms. Her hips are moving in rhythm with mine and I'm close to my release. I concentrate on the feel of her pussy sliding hot and wet on my cock, her moans against my lips, her tongue. She's driving me to the edge, and her walls are tightening again.

"Tell me I'm yours," she whispers needily, and my heart is going to explode. She might be mine, but she definitely owns me.

"_Bien sûr que t'es à moi, ma puce_," I murmur possessively as she holds me tight against her, thrusting a few more times and she comes again as an explosion of pure ecstasy overtakes me.

We take a few moments to get our breathing back to normal, holding each other close. I lift my hand to her cheek, pulling her face to mine slowly as I trace her jaw with my thumb. She locks her eyes on mine and I witness the intensity of her love in her gaze. She plants a soft kiss on my lips and smiles, and I'm sure I'm grinning like a fool.

I help her stand and she quickly walks to the bathroom as I pull my pants up. I start retrieving our clothes from the floor when I'm stopped by a knock on the door. Without thinking I put my t-shirt, Bella's top and her panties on the chair and I walk to the door, silently praying that Laurie wouldn't be delusional enough to come back.

I open the door to find Emmett, Jasper and their girls on the other side. They all freeze and look at me from head to toe. It dawns on me that I never took off my shoes when I came back earlier, my jeans are hanging low on my hips with the top two buttons undone, and I'm shirtless.

"Are we interrupting something?" Emmett asks, wiggling his eyebrow and making the rest of the gang giggle. For a second they all seem to be sixteen years old.

"I wouldn't have opened the door," I retort. And it's the truth, the building could have burnt down that I wouldn't have noticed.

We all enter the living room just as Bella comes out of the bathroom and joins us. I look at her walk to me barefoot, in loose jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt, her hair knotted in a loose bun. She's fucking gorgeous, all the time, it's insane. She walks behind me and snakes her arm around my waist, her hand flat on my chest. She stops for only a second, leaving a small kiss between my shoulder blades, and I close my eyes to enjoy the feeling of her soft lips on my skin before she walks away and to the kitchen.

I open my eyes only to see my sister and friends staring at me with a grin on their lips, and I smile back. I think I might even blush a little.

She walks back to us with beers in hand, and my t-shirt stuck in the back pocket of her jeans.

"Yes! I love a girl who drinks beer before noon," Rosalie chimes as she grabs one bottle, handing another to Emmett who's sitting next to her on the couch. I walk to Bella, take one beer from her with one hand, placing the other on her ass to pull her flush against me. She giggles and I squeeze her ass, bending down to kiss her before tugging on my t-shirt to get it back.

Alice clears her throat behind me and I groan, moving away from Bella.

"So, what are you guys even doing here?" I ask as I put my shirt on and button my jean, trying hard not to make it sound reproachful, but failing. They're coming in the way of my making love to Bella all afternoon, after all.

"We have big news," Alice declares, her eyes sparkling, and I immediately throw a glimpse at Jasper who has a shit eating grin on his face. He proposed.

We listen to her squeal as she reveals the news, and hug everyone before coming to me.

"I'm so happy for you, Alice," I say as I pull her into a hug. I've missed her so much, and I'm glad I'm here now to share this important part of her life.

"Thank you," she simply answers and hugs me closer before pulling away.

She just smiles at me and moves on to showing her ring and retelling the entire story of Jasper's proposal minute by minute.

At some point I stop listening to the girly details of her tale, but I can't tear my gaze away from Bella. She has a huge smile on her lips, she's completely absorbed by Alice's words, laughing and clapping. I'm so enthralled by her sight that I don't realize at first that the guys aren't participating to the conversation either, and they just keep their eyes on their woman too.

Jasper comes closer to me at some point and taps me lightly on the back, bringing me back to Earth.

"Congratulations, man. I'm happy for you," I say sincerely, and his smile widens.

"Thanks. It was about time you came back," he says cryptically, his eyes never leaving Alice, and I realize he was waiting for me to be here to propose to her. I instinctively drop my chin in guilt, but he just turns his head and smiles at me. "How are things going between you and Bella?"

"I'm in love with her," I reply instantaneously. After trying to hold those words back, they seem to fly out of my mouth on their own accord, now.

"No shit!" Emmett yells as he joins the conversation, standing up from the couch to come near us.

"Did you tell her that?" Jasper asks.

"We did," I answer, and they both raise their bear bottle to me. Rosalie was looking in our direction and overhears. She pulls Emmett by the collar, bringing him flush against her.

"So, they're getting married, they confessed their love…what about us?" She asks teasingly.

"We have to do better and beat them. How about I get you pregnant?" Emmett jokes.

"How could you ever say no to a proposition like this?" Bella comments dryly.

"So, we have to celebrate," Alice starts again, bringing the focus back to her. "And we need to do something awesome, before I start planning everything."

"Fuck, this planning thing is going to be Hell, isn't it?" Jasper turns to me with a defeated look in his eyes.

"Yeah, bro. You unleashed the beast," I laugh and Emmett taps him on the shoulder sympathetically.

"Let's go to Vegas!" Alice yells, startling us.

"Yes!" Bella and Rosalie yell back at the same, high-fiving each other as we watch them in awe. We managed to find the most amazing three girls on the planet.

Without even asking our opinion, because we obviously wouldn't disagree, it is decided that we all go to Las Vegas next weekend to celebrate their engagement. Alice is glowing and I love seeing her so happy. Bella keeps throwing glances at me, a look of concern in her eyes. I imagine she must worry that planning a weeding must be difficult to witness for me, considering that mine was supposed to be yesterday. Yet I hadn't even realized that until now.

I've been so happy, so serene with Bella that I had completely forgotten about everything else. None of it matters anymore, it's all about her.

I wonder if one day we'll announce to our friends that we'll get married, too. It scares me a little, to be honest. I'm torn between wanting that to happen, because I'm happier with her than I ever would've been with Laurie. But I'm relieved that she doesn't necessarily want to get married at all. There's no pressure, no deadline. It's very comforting to know that as long as we love each other, she's not expecting anything else from me, anything material. I still can't realize how much I fucking love this girl.

We make arrangements for next weekend, book our flights and hotel rooms. We drink to Alice and Jasper one more time, and they all leave a few hours later.

I immediately walk to Bella and take her in my arms, inhaling her scent. She locks her arms around my waist, burying her nose in my chest and sighs.

"Are you ok?" She asks sweetly.

"I am." I say as I bend down to kiss her softly.

"It was supposed to be yesterday, wasn't it?" She asks cautiously, and I'm glad she feels comfortable enough with me to ask that question. "You can talk to me about it, you know."

"I honestly didn't even think about it," I reassure her. "Not when I planned to take you out on a date, not when I was with you. You made me forget all about it."

"Laurie made sure to remind you, though," she replies sadly, breaking eye contact and looking down at my chest.

"I don't give a fuck," I counter firmly, pushing her chin up with my fingers to force her to look at me. "She only reminded me of how little she means to me; of how little she ever meant, compared to you," I soothe, bringing my hand to the back of her head, tangling my fingers in her soft hair. I keep her as close to me as I can, pressing her body against mine, my lips ghosting over hers.

"_Ma petite puce à moi_," I murmur, and her breath hitches. "_Je t'aime_." Her eyes flutter close and her body melts against mine as she lets out a desperate whimper. I'll never get tired of making her swoon like that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews! Again, I didn't have time to reply but I read them all and I loved everyone one of them! Keep'em coming!**

**A big hug to my beta, and she deserves even more than that!**

**For the French: **_"T'as la peau tellement douce"_ : Your skin is so soft.

**Would it make you swoon, too? ;)**


	19. Rough Day

**Chapter 19 – Rough day**

**BPOV**

"I think Victoria knows about Emmett and me," Rosalie says worriedly as we're sitting at our usual table, eating lunch.

"How do you know?" I ask in the same worried tone. Neither of us actually cares about what Victoria thinks, but she likes starting rumors, and if she knows, the entire firm soon will, too.

"She gives me looks insistently; like she has something against me, even more than before. And she's being super sweet to Emmett. She almost seems jealous," she explains.

"That's possible. You got him, she never could," I reply without thinking, but her eyes snap up to mine, a flash of anger crossing her blue stare.

"She tried?"

"Yes, a while ago," I answer matter-of-factly. "But can you imagine Emmett going for that kind of girl? He never found anything attractive about her. I think that's why she started the rumors about me when I arrived, to get revenge."

"Anyway," she says, getting back to the original topic. "She's not supposed to know that I have him; and if she does, why hasn't she spread the word yet?"

"She might be waiting for the most destructive moment, for both of you," I reply pensively. Rose doesn't answer immediately.

"Bitch!" She eventually mumbles, picking at her food, and I laugh quietly.

We change the subject and finish our lunch talking about our trip to Las Vegas in a few days, rather than Victoria's scheming, before going back to work.

At some point in the afternoon I get up from my desk and walk to the break room to get a coffee. Jacob enters right after me.

"Hi, Bella," he says as he stops right behind me as I'm facing the coffee maker. He's way too close to me.

"Hi, Jacob." I answer meekly without even turning around, and I just pour myself a cup.

"We never went to dinner after all," he starts as I move to the side, away from him before I finally turn to face him. "Are you free sometime next week?"

"It's nice of you to ask," I answer as politely as I can, trying hard not to slap him…or throw up. "Unfortunately, I'm very busy these days. It's going to be very complicated."

I try to walk past him but he moves to the doorway, blocking my path.

"You know, Bella," he lowers his voice, making sure nobody else can hear him. "Now that Emmett has found another protégée in the firm, you might want to consider having an ally who would make sure that all your needs are fulfilled," he offers lewdly. "And naturally I believe in reciprocity."

"I'll consider it. Thanks," I answer in a cold voice, not wanting to make a scene at work and tightening my hand around my cup of coffee to keep from throwing it in his face. I storm out of the room, go back to my desk and instantly send a text to Emmett and Rose.

**Victoria probably knows about you two. So does Jacob: he just made a very indecent proposition to me. –B**

**Fuck! –R**

I smile as I receive Rose's answer. She doesn't reply anything more than that, and a few minutes pass before I receive an answer from Emmett.

**5:30 in my office. Time to use that fucking video! –E**

I knew I could trust Emmett to handle this situation, even though I don't really know all the detail of his plan. I focus back on my work, reassured, until I receive an email from Edward.

_From: Edward Cullen  
><em>_To: Isabella Swan  
><em>_Subject: Private_

_Ma puce,  
><em>_I'm having the worst day ever at work.  
><em>_Thinking about that beautiful smile on your lips is the only thing that keeps me from a fucking nervous-breakdown.  
><em>_I can't wait to be home, to be in your arms.  
><em>_Tu me manques._

_Edward_

My heart sinks a little as I read his words and I hit reply instantly.

_From: Isabella Swan  
><em>_To: Edward Cullen  
><em>_Subject: RE: Private_

_Mon chéri,  
><em>_I can't wait to be home either.  
><em>_My day took a troubling turn of events, too. I'll tell you all about it tonight, when I'm in your arms.  
><em>_I miss you, too._

_Bella_

I wait for a little while, staring at the screen in case Edward replies, but he doesn't. I only hope my email lifted his spirit a little.

Before I realize, its' already 5:30 and I see Jacob approaching my desk. Emmett still hasn't explained anything to us, I wasn't sure he would be here.

"Bella, twice in one day," he exclaims with a big smile. "I'm lucky, today. I have a meeting with Emmett," he continues as a way of explaining his presence.

"Go ahead, he's waiting for you," I answer in a forced polite tone of voice, and he moves to Emmett's door. He enters and a second later, Victoria is in front of me.

"Emmett wants to see me," she states triumphantly. I fight the urge to roll my eyes at her and instead just motion for her to walk in his office. Rose arrives right as she opens the door and we walk behind her. I close the door once we're all inside and Victoria turns to me with wide eyes.

"What's happening, here? What are we all doing here?" She screeches.

"Could you please keep your voice down, Victoria?" Emmett answers in a controlled professional tone. "A lot of our coworkers are still working at this hour, and I can assure you that you don't want to make this a public matter."

"Is that a threat? What is this about?" Jacob asks, finally opening his mouth. He's standing in the middle of the room, his hands in his pocket, pretending to be completely at ease, but he clearly isn't.

"No, it's advice," Emmett answers, keeping his voice even. He gestures for Rose and me to come next to him behind his desk, and we obey, standing on either side of him. Jacob and Victoria still aren't moving, waiting patiently for Emmett to explain the reason for this meeting.

"I asked you here to clarify a couple of details," he says sternly. "Please have a seat."

"No, I'd rather stand," Jacob counters, visibly less skilled than Emmett at keeping his calm, or concealing his annoyance.

"As you wish," Emmett answers politely, standing tall behind his desk, and it's obvious than Jacob is intimidated. Emmett inhales deeply before talking, his gaze moving back and forth between Jacob and Victoria. "The type of relationship I maintain with Miss Swan or Miss Hale is none of your business," he starts firmly, but Jacob cuts him off.

"I have a right to report you if it's against the guidelines and regulations of the firm," he warns, but Emmett is visibly not alarmed by his threats.

"True, but then, I would have to report this," he says, grabbing his cell phone on his desk and turning it towards them. He doesn't have the same courtesy Rose had when she first showed me, he didn't turn off the sound. I can't see the images this time, but I can hear her scream and moan like a porn star. I can't help but be reminded of Edward's comments when he saw this video, although I'm pretty sure he said it only to make me jealous.

"How the fuck did you get that?" Jacob sneers and Victoria just stands there, speechless, her eyes wide open. I throw a glimpse at Rosalie who has her stare locked on Victoria, shooting daggers at her. We both remain silent, letting Emmett handle the situation.

"Yeah, you should definitely close the door when you fuck the receptionist on your desk," he laughs quietly.

"What are you going to do with that?" Jacob asks in a voice that I'm sure he intended self-assured, but comes out worried.

"Nothing, I've had this for a while and nobody knows, right?" Emmett retorts casually, his composed professional facade never fading. "Now, I can't promise you that if rumors should start about Rosalie and me, this video wouldn't be uploaded on YouTube, and sent anonymously to the managing partners and everyone else here."

"You're a jerk," Victoria snaps, finally emerging from her state of shock.

"No, I'm just trying to protect Miss Hale's reputation in the firm, because I think she's doing a very good job. No pun intended," he adds seriously, and Rose chuckles next to him.

"We keep our mouth shut and nobody sees this?" Jacob asks, already agreeing to Emmett's terms of the deal.

"You have my word," Emmett guarantees, moving around his desk to stand in front of him. "Another detail, though," he adds, his voice dropping menacingly. "If you make any kind of proposition to Miss Swan again, I'll make sure she files a sexual harassment claim. And even though it's not my area of expertise, I'll be the prosecutor. I'll find a way to use this video in court, and you'll never get a job again. Am I being clear?"

He's looking down at Jacob, his eyes locked on him intimidatingly and we can tell that Jacob struggles to hold his stare.

"Crystal," he concedes through gritted teeth, the muscle of his jaw flexing nervously.

"Good," Emmett concludes and takes another step closer to Jacob, almost forcing him to move back. "Now take your trash and get the fuck out of my office, asshole."

Emmett doesn't move an inch, Rose and I keep our position, too until Jacob and Victoria both turn around and leave the office without another word.

"You looked like a pimp protecting your whores," I joke as I move from behind the desk and they both laugh quietly. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks," Rose adds. She's been uncharacteristically silent and passive about this whole situation, but then I witness the look the exchange, filled with love and desire. They both know better than to show any affection at work, especially now, but I can see how much she loves and trusts him.

Rose walks out of the office behind me, closes the door and goes back to her desk. They don't leave work at the same time, as usual, and I leave before Emmett, eager to go back to Edward.

I arrive home and he's not there yet. I walk to the kitchen to get something to drink and I hear him open the front door.

"In here," I yell, but he doesn't answer. He enters the kitchen in a fury, opens the fridge to grab a beer and takes a big swing at it.

"What's wrong?" I ask cautiously as I watch him.

"Shitty day," he answers angrily. "It got even worse after the email I sent you. I've never worked with people so incompetent, yet so arrogant." He takes another big gulp of his beer as I just stand there silent. He turns his gaze to me, smiling weakly. "I'm sorry babe, I don't mean to be rude…I just need to calm down a little."

I've seen him tired because of work before, but he was never this stressed out. I don't like seeing him like that, I need to do something, anything to make him forget about his crappy day.

"Do you want me to help you…release the tension," I say in a sultry voice as I walk close to him, resting my hand on his belt buckle. He lifts his gaze to mine, a wicked smile forming slowly on his lips and a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.

"I'm tense, upset…if I fuck you now it won't be sweet and tender," he warns, shifting his body to face me, mere inches away.

"I can take it, you know I like it rough. But maybe I shouldn't tell you about my day, then," I continue coyly, looking at him from under my lashes. I keep my thumb on his belt, sprawling my other fingers on his pants, and I can feel his cock growing hard already.

"Why not? What happened?" He asks firmly, his eyes still locked on mine.

"You're already upset…" I trail off in a fake innocent voice.

"Tell me," he orders, grabbing my hips and pulling flush against him, my hand trapped between our bodies.

"Rose's boss wanted me to be the next secretary to be fucked on his desk."

"_Fils de pute_," he mutters, and anger crosses his features for a second. "Can't blame him, though. I'd want to fuck you on my desk too if you were working with me, walking around dressed like that," he adds in a low voice, sliding his hands to my ass. He's probably right; I'm wearing a tight pencil skirt, a white blouse that shows a little bit of cleavage, with high heel pumps. I'm dressed like the cliché of the sexy secretary in a porn film.

His cock is rock hard under my hand and I stroke him through his pants. The look in his eyes on me is dangerously hungry; he looks like a predator, eyeing me as if I was his prey, and I find it very arousing.

"Really, you'd fuck the secretary on your desk, Mr Cullen?" I ask seductively, and his breath hitches when I call him by his last name.

"If you worked hard enough, I would," he says, lifting his hand to the back of my neck and pushing downwards, forcing me to kneel. "But first I'd get you under my desk."

"What would you want me to do?" I ask innocently as I undo his pants and pull his cock out of his boxers, ghosting my lips on the head.

"Suck my cock, Isabella," he orders and I take him into my mouth. "Suck it harder," he commands, and I pump harder and faster, taking him deep in my throat and swirling my tongue over the head. His hand is in my hair, pushing on the back of my head to guide my movements. His hips rock back and forth, and after a few moments I'm not moving anymore, he's just fucking my mouth. He tugs at my hair with one hand, keeping my head in place with the other, slowing down his thrusts to hit deeper in my mouth. I relax my throat to take him as deep as I can and he grunts.

"Enough," he says throatily as he slides out of my mouth and pulls me to my feet. He swiftly turns me around and forces me to bend over the kitchen table.

"I would bend you over my desk just like that, Isabella," he says as he pulls up my skirt and slides my panties down to my knees. I love it when he calls me that.

He pushes my feet apart with his, spreading my legs as wide as possible with my panties at my knees. I hear the sound of his belt buckle being undone, and his zipper, and it's the most arousing sound ever. I keep my hands flat on the table, my head to the side, peaking at him over my shoulder. I watch him grab his cock in one hand, the other flat on my lower back, his eyes focused on what he's doing.

I whimper as I feel his cock thrust into me, filling me completely. He moves fast, slamming hard, deep inside; he warned me it wasn't going to be sweet and tender.

"Did you tell him?" He asks in an angry voice.

"What?" I ask back. I can't grasp the meaning of his question, my mind is fogged by the intense pleasure of his cock pounding into me.

"Did you tell that motherfucker that you're mine?" He grunts ferociously, and I love how possessive he gets.

"No," I whimper, knowing very well that it will upset him even more.

"Why not?" He asks as he slaps my ass, making me gasp. I watch him from over my shoulder as he slams into me, the most feral expression in his eyes. "You know your cute little ass belongs to me, don't you?"

"Yes," I breathe as he keeps a fast rhythm, his nails digging into the skin of my hips, scratching me.

"Fuck, so good," he groans. His pace slows down slightly and he pulls completely out of me before slamming back inside violently, repeating this several time until he comes hard.

He releases my hips to rest his hands on either side of my waist on the table. He's panting heavily, his eyes closed. I keep my eyes on him until he opens them and he smiles weakly.

"I'm sorry I was selfish on this one," he says sweetly, bending over to rest his forehead on my shoulder.

"You'll make it up to me later," I retort and he laughs quietly before pulling out of me and putting his pants back on.

"Let me get to the bathroom first, then I'll prepare dinner," he offers, even though it's not quite what I had in mind, and I bring my panties up and pull down my skirt.

He moves to the doorway but stops before walking out of the kitchen. He turns to me, the sweetest smile on his lips and a look of adulation in his eyes.

"You really are fucking perfect," he says as he takes a step closer and leaves a soft tender kiss on my lips before exiting the room.

How can he not realize how fucking perfect he is, too? Maybe neither of us really is, maybe we're only perfect for each other, and it's more than enough.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you're not to disappointed that this chapter wasn't about Las Vegas, yet. Patience, my lovelies! ;)**

**And I couldn't let a week pass without some hot sex, right?!**

**French lesson of the day: **_"Tu me manques"_: I miss you

_"Fils de pute"_: Son of a bitch...(always useful to know that one!)

**I usually don't do this, but I absolutely need to take a second to rec two story that I fell in love with recently:**

**Just Say Yes, **by Bleriana (who, on top of being an amazing fanfic writer, also writes a blog and is my personal dealer of RobPorn!). And I have the honor of prereading this! *squealing like a total fangirl*

**Butterfly, **by theinfinitexsadness. This was originally a one shot, that you absolutely need to read, and she's turning it into a multi-chapter story, mostly because it was so good we didn't leave her a choice! :) Send her some love for me!

**If you need other great stories to read, you have to check my amazing beta theotherbella 's profile, because she has a bunch of those!**

**Thanks for reading, and next chapter, we're going to Vegas, baby!**

**Review, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	20. Vegas, baby!

**Chapter 20 – Vegas, baby!**

**EPOV**

"How long is this flight, anyway?" I ask Bella a few moments after we take off from Seattle to make our way to Las Vegas.

"Less than two hours," she answers.

"Huh…not enough time," I murmur as I look at her. She's gorgeous, as usual, wearing tight blue jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt. I can see her black bra through the fabric and the neckline is low enough to give me a perfect view of the swell of her breasts. And as usual, just looking at her makes my cock grow hard instantly.

"Stop looking at me as if you were going to eat me," she warns playfully, but she visibly likes it when I look at her that way, and I can't help but play with her.

"_J'ai envie de te croquer_," I whisper in her ear, biting her lobe as I rest my hand on her thigh. Her breath hitches but she pushes me away softly, a smile on her lips.

"Do people actually have sex on planes? I mean is it doable?" She asks curiously and I answer without thinking.

"Yes, it is. Although not in such a small plane, it'd be too obvious. And we'd probably start landing before we're finished."

"Wow, you're clearly an expert. You've done this before," she replies. It's clearly not a question and I can tell she's annoyed.

"And you're upset," I counter cautiously, and it's not a question either.

"No, not really…I'm…kind of jealous," she says hesitantly, but a teasing smile is gracing her lips. I lean closer to her again and drop my voice seductively.

"Then I guess we'll just have to take a very long flight to Europe together, and I'll fuck you in that bathroom."

"We can hear you, you know?" Alice chides from the seat behind us, making Jasper laugh next to her.

"It's unfair," Rose whines in the seat in front of us. "Emmett is so huge that there's no way we could both fit in one of those tiny bathrooms."

"You usually don't complain that I'm big," he counters crudely and we all burst out laughing.

We spend the rest of the flight talking and laughing, making the other travelers throw annoyed glances at us because we're probably too loud, and our conversations tend to be more than inappropriate.

We get out of the plane and take a cab to the hotel, somehow managing to fit the six of us in one suv. We make our way from the airport to the Mirage Hotel where we booked a suite with 3 separate bedrooms. It wasn't that expensive considering that we'll split the cost. The atmosphere between us is electric, we're all excited by this weekend and we can't seem to be able to act like adults.

We enter the lobby of the hotel and I freeze in surprise as I see the event going on this weekend. There's a tattoo convention. My first instinct is to be thrilled about it, I'd rather spend two days among tattoo artists than casino slot machines. Plus, Bella doesn't have any tattoos and I'd gladly share with her this part of my personality. I'd love to see some ink on her smooth porcelain skin, if she wants to. I might get another one myself.

Then it hits me. I'm _supposed_ to get another one, and Jasper must have thought about the same thing because he comes next to me, slapping me vigorously on the back.

"Well, tattoo convention. This weekend is going to be awesome," he laughs with a triumphant look in his eyes.

"Fuck," I mumble, and Bella giggles next to me.

We go up to the suite and choose the room we're going to sleep in. They look exactly similar to what you see in movies, and it gives the strange feeling that I've been here before. We don't even take the time to unpack the few things we brought with us, or satisfy that primal need I've felt since the plane bathroom talk to have Bella writhing under me. We immediately start drinking to Alice and Jasper's engagement with a bottle of champagne from room service that must cost at least $500. That dumbass can't refuse her anything.

The girls decide to go shopping for a dress for tonight and get their nails done or some shit, leaving us guys on our own. We go to the casino, deciding to wait for them to go to the convention. Jasper clearly wants to humiliate me as much as possible.

We spend a few hours alternating between roulette, craps and the blackjack tables. We win some money, and lose almost all of it right afterwards. We're having a lot of fun regardless, but in the back of my head I can't stop thinking about Bella, and can't wait to have her by my side again.

We're grabbing a drink at the bar when Emmett swears loudly next to me. I turn my head to the same direction as him and I see Bella. She's walking towards me with Rose and Alice, although she's the only one I see. She's wearing the tightest dress she could possibly fit into, her luscious curves inviting me to rip it off her, not that there's that much material to rip, anyway. Her shoulders are bare, the dress held by only two thin straps, and the hem barely covers the top of her thighs. If that wasn't enough to make any guy in this room turn around, the dress is red. Fucking blood red.

She's wearing black stilettos with a thin strap around her ankles; she knows how much I fucking love that. Her hair is straight, falling down her back, slick and shiny, with a few shorter locks framing her face. She has dark make up on her eyes, accentuating her stare, and I smile as I notice there's nothing on her lips. No fucking lip gloss keeping me from kissing her. Although she looks so fucking hot that kissing her is not even close to what I have in mind.

I launch myself at her, kiss her savagely, thrusting my tongue between her lips, my hands roaming over her ass, her hips, her tiny waist.

"Calm down," she chuckles against my mouth. "I take it you like the dress."

"No, I hate it," I counter playfully as I squeeze her ass. "We need to tear it apart, get it off your body right the fuck now."

"It makes me look like a hooker," she says worriedly, she clearly feels self-conscious.

"It makes you the hottest women on this planet," I assure her. "They all wish you were a hooker, so that they could have you if they win tonight."

"You're the only one who's going to win tonight," she replies teasingly, the smile back on her face.

"Fuck yes," I sigh.

I gather all my strength and manage to push myself away from her to drag her back to the tables. I throw a glimpse at our friends, and Alice and Rose are as gorgeous as Bella, Jasper and Emmett having as much difficulties as me keeping their eyes and hands off of them.

"So, what do you want to play?" I ask Bella, trying to enjoy the weekend without staying locked in the room for two days. Not that I would really mind.

"I don't know. Can't I just throw the dices like all the hot women do in movies?" She replies playfully.

"That you can do. Craps it is."

We all gather around the table, and I notice that they've been drinking already. The three of them are more than tipsy, and it's really fun to watch, to be honest. They talk very loud, laughing for no apparent reason, or none that us guys can comprehend, anyway.

Emmett, Jasper and I bet the money, and the girls throw the dices for us, blowing on them like they do in movies. And it must work, because they manage to get back all the money we lost when we were alone. The girls finish their second drinks since they came back, and Jasper throws a concern look at me. I understand immediately and nod.

"Let's get something to eat, ladies, before one of you passes out," he proposes cheerfully, dropping his voice at the end so that they don't hear the last part.

We pick up our chips and change it into cash before heading to a restaurant inside the hotel. It's still early for dinner, so we find a table easily and they bring us our orders rather quickly. The conversation flows naturally, we talk and laugh. We tell embarrassing stories about every one, the most interesting one to me being Bella winning a wet t-shirt contest. I don't know how she could not win that, actually.

Jasper and I start telling stories about our years of friendship, and somehow it turns into a pissing contest again. The mood remains friendly, but we both want to have the last word in. Emmett and Rose arbitrate our anecdotes, and Alice and Bella are just staring at us intently. We're both acting like peacocks, trying to impress our girl. We're one step short of arm-wrestling on the table, the atmosphere is reeking testosterone.

I'm about to speak again when Bella stops me, putting her hand on my bicep delicately before squeezing.

"I want you to fuck me so hard right now," she says way too loud, an indecent glint in her eyes, and my cock twitches in my pants. I don't even have time to answer before Alice speaks, too.

"Fuck this! Marry me, right now," she yells, startling all of us, and probably a few customers in the restaurant.

"What?" Jasper asks, clearly torn between shock and amusement.

"We're in Vegas, for fuck's sake. Fucking marry me," she yells again, her eyes wide open.

"Babe, you're drunk, for one," he starts and pauses for a second. "And…well I can't think of a two, but you're drunk."

"No I'm not. Not that much," she explains more calmly, her voice finally getting back to normal. "We'll get our big wedding later, with our family and everything. I love you so much it hurts, and I want you inside of me so badly, but what I want even more is to be your wife, right now."

Jasper keeps his eyes on her for a few seconds, all of us holding our breath, waiting for his answer to her not-so-crazy demand, and he just shakes his head in disbelief.

"I love you so much. Of course, I'll marry you whenever you want. I'll do whatever the fuck you want," he says and crashes his mouth on hers.

I turn my head to Bella and she looks at me, the expression in her eyes taking my breath away. We have the same thought at the same time, I can see it in her eyes. We're in Las Vegas, what if we got married, too?

I still can't get my head around how much she means to me. How is it possible that spending the rest of my life with her seems so obvious after such a short time? How is it possible that marrying her in Vegas seems more coherent to me than having a real wedding with the women I was dating for years?

She smiles at me sweetly and leans closer to me.

"We have time," she just whispers, alleviating the pressure, and I love her even more.

We throw a few bills on the table and run to the closest chapel we can find. It's white and pink and fluffy everywhere, but somehow it seems perfect. I've never seen my sister or my best friend so happy in their lives. They'll have their big wedding with hundreds of guests, but tonight it's just about the two of them.

We're waiting our turn in a small room for the previous wedding to be over. Alice and Jasper can't stop kissing each other like teenagers, Bella is cuddled in my arms, tracing circles on my back with her fingertips, and I force myself to keep my hands on her lower back and not slide them down her pretty ass. I watch Emmett looking at Rose worriedly as she's fidgeting and pacing like a caged lioness.

"What the fuck is wrong, babe?" He eventually asks rather harshly, startling all of us.

"Nothing," she retorts, but she didn't convince any of us. He stands up, grabs her by the back of her neck and pulls her against him.

"What the fuck is wrong, Rose?" He asks again softly.

"I'm jealous," she admits and she seems really upset.

"Tell me why," he demands in a sweet voice, the adoration clear in his eyes.

"Because they're getting married, and we're not. And I thought we would, and not them," she answers in a rush, trying to extricate herself from his grip, unsuccessfully.

"You wanted me to propose?" He asks, not doing a very good job at concealing his amusement, which only seems to upset her more.

"No…I don't know if I wanted you to, I just thought you would!" She almost yells, and he just laughs as the rest of us are watching them without saying a word.

"It doesn't make any sense," he keeps laughing, and she yells even louder.

"Yeah, well-"

"Shut the fuck up for a second," he cuts her off, his voice getting back to a sweet murmur again. "I thought about asking you, but Alice did it first. It wasn't the same if I did it after."

"Really? Or are you just lawyer-ing your way out of this?" She asks with a raised eyebrow, although she obviously believes him.

"It's the truth, babe," he assures, and kisses her tenderly. None of us can hold back our smile.

"So, double wedding, or what?" Alice asks excitedly, but they just shake their heads no without ever breaking eye contact. Bella turns to face me again and snuggles closer to me, as close as she can, burying her nose in my chest, and I lock my arms around her tightly. Tonight is about Alice and Jasper only.

We finally enter the chapel and watch them get married. The wedding lasts for less than ten minutes, and they kiss each other for at least ten more before they throw us out and move on to the next one. Love is radiating from them, they were clearly meant for each other.

We head to one of the hottest clubs in town, once again buying an overpriced bottle of champagne to celebrate their impromptu wedding. We drink, laugh and dance, and drink some more for almost the entire night. At some point I go back to the table with Jasper and Emmett, and I watch Bella move on the dance floor with her friends. Her ass is swaying languidly, her dress rising slightly; merely an inch higher and I could see her pussy. She's the sexiest woman I've ever seen, the most amazing woman I've ever been with.

Jasper calls me from the opposite side of our table and I turn to him.

"Bro, listen to me," he slurs, clearly I'm not the only one who had too much to drink tonight. "I've known you for fifteen years. The first time I talked to her four years ago, I thought to myself that she would've been perfect for you," he says as he leans back in his seat, giving me a pointed look.

"You were right," I simply answer, because at this point there's nothing else I can say. He was right, about everything.

The girls walk back to us; I watch Bella make her way in my direction, her curves undulating enticingly in that fucking red dress and I can't take it any longer. I need to have her body against mine, and my dick inside of her.

Without saying anything I grab her wrist and walk out of the club, both Jasper and Emmett doing the same with Alice and Rosalie. We get back to our hotel suite without a word, all my focus is on Bella. I can't refrain from touching her, my hands are on her hips, her thighs.

As soon as we enter the suite, we all head straight to our rooms, locking our doors behind us. I'm finally alone with Bella, and I fucking hope that the walls are not too thin, because I intend to make her moan a lot.

I hold her close to me, my mouth assaulting hers and forcing her to step back until we're next to the bed. She pushes herself away from me, sitting down in front of me, her face level with my cock. She reaches for the buttons of my shirt, undoing them slowly and I take it off. Her hands caress my chest from my shoulders down to my waist, and she starts unbuckling my belt and pants, dragging them down my legs to let me step out of them along with my shoes.

My cock is straining against my boxers, I tangle my fingers in her hair, pulling her mouth close to where I fucking need it so badly, but she pulls back. I watch her questioningly, and she stands up.

"Move to the head of the bed," she orders in a sultry voice and motions for me to sit on the bed. I obey as she watches me, visibly determined to have her way with me tonight. As if I would refuse her anything. I lean against the headboard and she crawls on top of me, her knees on either side of my thighs, but she doesn't sit. She takes my hand and guides me to slide it in my boxer and grab my dick.

She wants me to touch myself, she's watching me hungrily, licking her lips at the sight my cock in my hand. I start stroking myself slowly in my boxers and she bites her lip. She's getting aroused by only the sight of me, it's the most empowering feeling I've ever felt.

She stays on her knees and her hands roam over her curves slowly, languidly. She caresses her hips over her dress, her waist, her breasts, and I grip my cock tighter.

"Do you like the dress, Edward?" She asks and fuck, my name on her lips is so fucking sexy my breath hitches. I pull my dick out of my boxers and her eyes instantly move to watch.

"That's how much I like it," I answer in a low voice. "My cock was hard all night seeing you in that fucking dress."

She whimpers at my words, her hands roaming all over her body. She caresses her neck and moves to her shoulders, slowly pushing down the straps of the dress. She travels down to her breasts, pulling the dress along and revealing her perfect nipples.

"Fuck, you're so sexy," I croak as I keep rubbing myself, and her eyes never leave my dick. She just smiles wickedly and continues to move down. She reaches her hips again, and lifts the hem of the dress up to her waist. She's wearing black panties, her fingers playing along the small clasp on each side, and I fight hard not to pump faster on my cock. At this rate I might come before I even get the chance to properly fuck her.

Her hands graze her thighs as she moves to the interior and up to her pussy, and she moans as her fingers brush against her clit. She's going to fucking kill me. She moves back to her hips, unclasping her panties and throwing them on the floor. Her pussy is bare in front of me, and it takes all the strength I have not to launch myself at her and eat that beautiful pussy until she passes out.

She doesn't take her eyes off my hand moving up and down my shaft, her tongue darting out of her mouth. She clearly wants to eat me too and I'm dying to have her plump lips wrapped around me.

I glide the palm of my hand over the head of my cock as I watch her fingers slowly stroke her clit. She runs small circles and then slips them between her slit as her other hand massages her breast. I can't refrain from pumping my hand faster, now, as her middle finger disappears inside her pussy. My cock hurts, I fucking need to be inside her. Her finger slides out, glistening from her juices, and moves back to her clit, stroking faster.

Her eyes are still locked on my dick, she's biting her lower lip to keep from moaning too loud, but I can tell she's close. A soft pink is coloring her cheek, her hand gripping her breast tighter, the muscles of her thighs trembling slightly.

"Let me see you come, _ma puce,_" I murmur throatily and she lets out a loud moan as she comes, releasing her breast to place her hand on my thigh for support, the other one still rubbing her clit softly. I can't wait any longer. I don't even wait for her to come down from her orgasm.

I push her back on the bed and climb on top of her. Before she can realize, I'm inside of her, buried deep in one thrust, and pause for a second. The sensation is too overwhelming, she's driving me completely wild and I grab her wrists to pin them firmly to the bed above her head.

"_Ma petite allumeuse_, do you have any idea how badly I wanted to fuck you, tonight?" I groan against her mouth.

"Oh, God, Edward, so fucking good," she mumbles under me, her walls pulsating around my cock. I want to pound into her so hard, I'm actually afraid I might hurt her.

"You want _me_ to make you come this time? Or is it better when you do it yourself?" I tease, making her whimper and throwing her head back, her eyes screwed shut.

"Fuck, no, you're better," she breathes before opening her eyes again and looking straight at me with an obscene expression. "Nothing feels as good as your cock."

"_T'es vraiment une petite cochonne_," I whisper in her ear and I start thrusting hard, repeatedly, the head of my cock hitting deep inside of her. Her legs are locked around my waist, her hands tightened into fists as I'm still holding her wrists. I pump in and out of her fast and hard, making her moan loudly and her walls clamp violently around my cock, making me come inside of her.

I lay on top of her, panting for a few moments before even releasing her wrists. She snakes her arms around my shoulders, keeping me on top of her, and I could fall asleep right there, in her arms, inside of her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Yes! Vegas! What did you think? **_

_**Thanks for reading! I updated quicker than I thought, for once! I'm seriously going to stick to every Sunday from now on, promise!**_

_**The next two chapters are written, on their way to be beta'ed...and I will also soon update High School Reunion...you know that Oneshot I wrote a couple of months ago...Yes, I'm continuing that story! :) _**Downside is that I didn't have time to reply to the reviews again...sorry!**_**_

_**Let's not forget the hot dirty French:**_

_"J'ai envie de te croquer": I want to eat you_

_"Ma petite allumeuse": My little tease_

_"T'es vraiment une petite cochonne": You really are a dirty girl_

_**Next chapter, still in Vegas...with a tattoo convention going on...should be interesting ;)**_

_**Leave me some love!**_


	21. Under my skin

**Chapter 21 – Under my skin**

**EPOV**

I wake up to the most amazing feeling ever, as I have every morning for the past few weeks. Bella is nestled against my side, her leg draped over my thigh. Her head is resting on my shoulder, her hand on my chest. I look down at her and I realize she's not sleeping anymore, her eyes are open.

"Good morning, _ma puce_," I murmur in her hair.

"Good morning," she replies softly and I can hear the smile in her voice. I shift to my side, keeping her close to me, until I'm facing her.

"I love you," I say earnestly, because for some reason I just can't hold back the words.

"I love you, too." Her eyes sparkling; she's glowing. "What's happening to you?"

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Are you, now?" She asks playfully.

"Yes. Are you ok with that idea?" I ask back in the same tone.

"More than ok."

I shift again to lie on top of her and she instinctively spread her legs to let me position myself between her thighs. Being in this position is all it takes for my morning wood to grow rock solid in a split second.

"_Je t'aime, ma puce_," I whisper, ghosting my lips from her ear to her cheek and over her lips.

"I'm helpless when you do that," she whimpers, and I can't help but smile.

"I know," I laugh softly, and she chuckles under me. One of my hand tangles in her hair as I move the other slowly down her side until I reach her hip. Her tiny hands are slowly travelling down my back, stopping at my waist, and I can't refrain from pressing myself between her legs, eliciting the sweetest moan from her.

I keep my lips on hers, brushing against them softly, barely kissing. Our mouths are open and I feel the soft blow of her breath on my lips. The tip of her tongue slowly grazes mine from time to time, but we keep this languid, unhurried pace for a while. I slip my hand under her top, and for once I feel the desperate need to feel her skin on mine. I pull at her top, urging her to take it off, and she arched her back until it's off and discarded to the side. I leave another sweet kiss on her lips and trail my mouth down her neck, leaving open mouth kisses, licking at the skin delicately.

She's breathing heavily, her chest heaving. I rest my body on hers, my skin against hers, her body trapped under me.

"_J'adore sentir ta peau contre la mienne_," I murmur as I kiss my way back up to her ear, and I feel her heart skip a beat. "_Sentir la chaleur de ton corps,_" I continue as I nibble at her lobe and her heart accelerates.

I graze my hand down her side again, clutching her panties and ready to bring them down her legs, but I pause for a moment. I press my lips to hers tenderly again, and she opens her mouth to lick my lower lip. I open mine, too, allowing her to slide her tongue inside to caress mine gently. Her hands travel down my arms and her nails graze my skin on her way back up and over my shoulders, sending a shiver coursing through my entire body.

I finally pull at her panties and she lifts her ass slightly, allowing me to slide them down. I sit on my heels, lifting her feet to my torso to take her panties completely off her. I bring her right ankle to my mouth, ghosting my lips over her skin. My eyes are always on hers and she watches me intently as I move my lips to the interior side of her leg. I trail the tip of my tongue on her smooth skin, and then plant a soft kiss, continuing my way up until I reach her thigh. She remains almost completely still, her hands fisted in the pillow under her head, but her labored breathing reveals how much she likes what I'm doing.

I put her feet on each side of my hips again, running my hands over her legs, her hips, her waist. I stand up to take off my boxers and she smiles the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I take a second to observe her, sprawled on the bed, ready for me, completely surrendering. She's mesmerizing.

I kneel again between her legs and study every inch of her skin with my hands, my lips, and my tongue. Her skin is so smooth, flawless, and I remember what I thought yesterday about the tattoo.

"Your skin is almost perfect," I murmur without removing my lips from her.

"Almost?" She asks, feigning to be offended.

"One thing is missing," I counter in a deep voice, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Ink," she simply says, and she doesn't need me to confirm. My cock throbs at the mere thought of a tattoo on her, and I bite my lip.

"Have you ever thought of getting one?" I ask, without ever stopping my caresses.

"I have thought about it," she answers weakly, visibly more focused on my hands than the conversation.

"Why didn't you ever do it?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm not decided on the design or the place…Maybe you could help me? What kind of tattoo would look good on me?"

"Any kind, _ma puce_," I say softly as I make her turn to her side, "but if I had to choose, I'd put it on your hip," I add and bite the exact spot I'm talking about. "Something girly, like a bow, but no color, just black, to contrast with you porcelain skin."

"I can imagine it'd look good," she almost moans as I keep moving up her body, my hands flat on her skin as my lips leave kisses on her waist, her ribs, until I reach the underside of her breast.

"There," I tell her, licking the skin over her ribs just beside her breast. "This would be a perfect spot, too, for a tiny butterfly, a small flower, or even a quote that you run all the way to your back," I lick the place where I'd put the tattoo, turning her around so that she's on her stomach. I instinctively move my mouth down to her ass, biting softly her left cheek.

"You're the one getting a tattoo, there," she laughs, and I bite harder to punish her for making fun of me, making her yelp. I continue to kiss her up and down her back, and she starts writhing under me, lifting her ass every time my mouth approaches her lower back.

"In the end, you're the one who has to choose; but seeing ink on your perfect skin would drive me fucking crazy," I conclude and grab her hip, urging her to turn around again. She's putty in my hands, moving as I tell her to, almost panting already.

I lie on my stomach, low on the bed between her legs, my face mere inches from her pussy. She spreads her legs wider instinctively, offering me just what I want, and my cock is so hard I need to seek friction against the bed. I keep my eyes on hers as I slowly lower my face on her, and she watches me intently.

I kiss the interior of her thigh, softly, and then the other. My mouth moves closer to her pussy and brushes against her lower lips, blowing a hot breath that causes her skin to erupt into goose bumps. I let my tongue lick up one lip and stop just before I touch her clit, and then the other. She whimpers, her hips rolling, her entire body begging for my tongue and pure lust is radiating from her. I press my mouth on her, kissing my way up to her clit. She moans loudly, and when I throw a glance at her, her head is thrown back, her eyes shut, her hands clutching the pillow again. I flick her clit with the tip of my tongue, slowly, barely touching, as my hands move up to massage her breasts.

"Edward, please," she begs, her whole body tense, desperately needing release. I press my lips on hers again, sliding my tongue in her slit and licking my way up, pressing my tongue flat on her clit before sucking on it softly. I hear her sharp intake of breath, and her hands come gripping my hair. She pulls my face closer to her as my tongue circles her clit, leisurely; languidly. Her orgasm builds up slowly, and I keep the same rhythm.

Her hips lift from the bed to meet my mouth, her fingers scratch my scalp, her moans barely muffled by her biting her lips. I move my tongue painfully slowly on her, again and again until I feel the walls of her pussy tighten against my mouth, and I suck hard on her clit, bringing her over the edge.

She screams a loud "fuck!" as well as my name a few times before her body relaxes. I crawl on top of her, leaving kisses everywhere on my way up. She locks her arms around my waist and I kiss her softly, letting her come down from her bliss.

I position the head of my cock between her lips and she instinctively places her hands on my ass to pull me closer. I push the head inside of her and stop, enjoying the feeling for a second, but she pulls me harder.

"Edward, please," she pleads again, resting her forehead on my shoulder.

"_Ma puce_, look at me," I order kindly and she turns her gaze to me. I push myself gradually inside of her, so slowly, feeling every inch of her around me, our eyes locked. I'm drowning in her brown stare, her mouth opens, she's panting and I push even deeper, excruciatingly slowly. She brings her feet up behind me, pressing her heels into my ass, and I gently slide my entire length inside of her, finally buried deep, earning a throaty moan from her.

Being inside of her is like nothing I've ever felt before. I'm overwhelmed by the intensity, my entire body is burning with need.

I prop myself on one arm and let my other hand caress her skin everywhere I can touch her. I keep my body flush against hers and move my hips slowly. I slide in and out of her lazily and kiss her languidly, our lips barely touching, our tongues brushing against one another's. We never change position, relishing the intimacy of it.

As much as I love fucking her half-dressed against whatever piece of furniture, nothing compares to the intensity of making love to her the way I am now.

I kiss her lips, her jaw, her neck. I want her to feel how much I adore her. Her hands are clutching my shoulders, she unwraps her legs from my waist to rest her feet on the mattress, pushing to lift her hips and meet my thrusts. I pull almost completely out of her and push back inside softly. Her skin is burning up just like mine, her heart beating as fast as mine; I don't need her to moan to know how much pleasure I'm giving her. Her walls are starting to tighten around me, I know she's close to her orgasm, and I'm getting close to mine, too.

She relaxes her legs on the bed, pinning them to the side of mine, skin against skin. This new position makes me hit inside of her at a different angle and I know I won't last long. Her hands travel down to my ribs, her arms folded at her sides. I rest on both forearms and lower my body on her as much as I can without crushing her, never stopping the movements of my hips. I kiss her lips once again and move my head to the side as she buries her nose in the crook of my neck.

I love her so much I feel like my heart could explode. She's positioned herself under me, somehow trapped but protected, safe, as if I was her shelter. She's mine to protect, to cherish, to love; and I'll spend the rest of my life doing just that.

"_Mon amour, je t'aime tellement_," I whisper in her hair and she gasps, her hands scratching my ribs as her walls clamp around me, imprisoning my cock into a death grip. I pump in and out of her a few more time and come inside of her, overpowered by a wave of pure ecstasy.

I shift to my side, bringing her with me and we fall back asleep in each other's arms.

I wake up a little later and stir in bed only to realize that I'm alone. I practically jump from the bed, grab one of the covers with me and fly out of the room.

"Bella?" I yell as I enter the suite's living room. Everyone is there sitting at the table staring at me, including Bella. She has a teasing smile on her lips and a playful glint in her eyes.

"I'm here, don't worry," she laughs quietly. "You could have taken the time to put some clothes on."

"Not here when I wake up and making fun of me? You're going to pay for this," I threaten and run to her. I grab her, making her shriek as I throw her over my shoulder caveman style before making my way back to the room.

"Don't think staying in bed all day with Bella will get out of the tattoo deal, bro," Jasper warns lightly, as if I didn't already know that.

"Yeah, yeah... Just give us ten minutes and I'll get my ass tattooed, promise," I answer without turning around.

"Lucky you, Bella, ten whole minutes," Emmett comments dryly. "Does it include putting your clothes back on, too?"

"Emmett, I'm so good I don't actually need more than a few minutes to make her come. Maybe someday you'll understand." I reply as they all laugh, including Rose.

"What are you laughing about, babe? You want your ten minutes?" I hear Emmett joke, but I'm already closing the door behind us.

"I hated not waking up in your arms, especially after a night like this," I murmur against her lips as I'm forcing her backwards to the bathroom and pulling at her t-shirt.

"I know," she answers and starts undoing her pants. "But you were sound asleep, I thought I should let you get some rest."

"Now that I'm rested. Let's see about those ten minutes." I push her under the shower spray as soon as her clothes are off and lift her off the floor. I slam her back against the tiles and align my dick with her pussy.

"How do you want it, _ma puce_?" I ask naughtily, pushing the head of cock against her opening to tease her.

"Since we don't have time for sweet and tender, you can just fuck me hard and fast," she says and captures my lip between her teeth, biting hard.

"I love you so fucking much," I growl and start pounding into her without stopping or even slowing down. Her hands are in my hair, tugging hard but it only spurs me on. The water splashes between our bodies with each thrust of my hips and I keep pounding faster and harder until we both come at the same time.

Still the best fucking way to start the day.

We quickly shower and get ready, and every time I look at her, I just want to go back to that bed and make love to her for hours again. Unfortunately, Jasper has other plans. We meet downstairs and mingle among all the people who came for the tattoo convention. He's nice enough to let Bella and me enjoy the work of the numerous artists before we start doing mine. We spend a few hours talking to several artists and listen to them explain the origins of their particular style. I start gathering in my head a few ideas for my next big piece.

I watch Bella a lot and I notice that she really seems interested in getting one. I won't try to influence her, though. Even though I told her last night that it'd drive me crazy, it's a decision that must come from her, no one else.

The more we talk to people, the more I want to finalize my next design and get it done. Getting tattooed is like a drug; as soon as one is finished, you're already thinking of the next one.

Jasper, Emmett, Rose and Alice eventually join us, but Bella is still looking through some drawings.

"Come on, man. It's time," Jasper cheerfully. I can't blame him for being so thrilled about it, I was even worse when I made him get his. "I'm going to be cool with you. If you don't want Bella to watch, the girls don't have to come."

"I don't know," I answer and turn my head to Bella, who's finally joining the conversation. "Do you want to see this?"

"Kind of, yes," she laughs and I just drop my head in shame. "Come on, you're a man, you're not going to scream or cry like a baby, are you?" She teases and I just grab her neck and pull her to me.

"Be careful, little girl," I warn in a low voice. "Don't irritate the man you know I am." She just melts against me and a dirty glint crosses her features.

"You're a man, you don't need me. I guess I'll just keep looking for something I might like."

I kiss her deeply and leave her with Alice and Rosalie. I actually don't want her to see me in this position, but I'm also glad that I can share this with Jasper and Emmett.

They drag me to one of the artists, since apparently they already chose who's going to mark me; yet let me explain to him what I want.

"I want a little pink heart on my right butt cheek," I tell the guy as seriously as I can manage, although having my friends bent over with laughter behind me doesn't really help.

"You lost a bet, didn't you?" He asks sympathetically, and I just nod. He seems like a very cool guy; about my age, tall, kind of skinny, covered with tattoos from head to toe. "My name's Riley," he says, offering me his hand to shake and then points at the tattoo on my forearm. "I can see you already have one, so you know the drill. I'll just wait for my associate to come back and we'll get to it."

"Ok, no problem," I answer, Jasper and Emmett slowly calming down. We end up waiting for almost fifteen minutes, but I feel so comfortable in that environment that I don't really mind. We talk to Riley and I show him the piece I had done on my chest. He spends almost ten minutes studying it, repeating several times that it's a real piece of art.

His associate comes back and we get started.

"So this is a convention, the goal is for people to see what we do," Riley starts, and I already know the end of his sentence.

"Which means no privacy whatsoever," I finish.

"Yeah, sorry, man," he nods apologetically while Jasper and Emmett high-five each other. Apparently to them it's good news. I start unbuttoning my jeans and they whistle and shout like two horny teenage girls over some supposedly hot actor; everyone around turns to look at us. They clearly won't make this easy for me. I decide to play along with them, I can't escape from this, and it'll be more fun anyway. I start rocking my hips like a stripper, turning around to show them my ass, I even earn a few appreciative whistles and winks from girls in the audience, and my friends burst out laughing.

I finally lie down on the seat, my ass bare for everyone to see, and Riley pulls closer to him the tray he had prepared with the needles and the ink.

"Do you want something specific or I can just let my imagination take the lead?" He asks seriously.

"You know what…actually I want the exact same one as my bro Jasper," I declare with a huge grin, and Jasper jumps from his seat.

"Oh, come on, man, it's unfair," he almost whines, and Emmett seems to really like my idea.

"If I have to be bare-ass in public, so do you," I counter, and he takes a second to find another reason not to do it.

"Are you sure you want us to have exactly the same tattoo on our ass?" He finally asks with a raised eyebrow. I think it over for a second before answering.

"To be honest, I really do," I reply sincerely and he just smiles and shakes his head.

"Ok, fine," Jasper concedes with a huge grin as he pulls his pants down and shows his ass to Riley.

"Fucking Christ, why does this never happen with hot chicks?" Riley comments playfully.

"Sorry, dude. Girls are just way smarter than this, I guess," Jasper answers, and we all know that he's probably right.

"Ok, I can take a picture so you can put your pants back on," Riley says, but Emmett intervenes immediately.

"No, no, no, he stays bare ass," he shouts, and people starts gathering around the stand to see what's happening.

Jasper and Emmett keep joking and teasing each other as Riley brings the needle on my skin and my whole body contracts.

"Motherfucking shit!" I yell, startling everyone.

"Yeah, that's one of the most sensitive parts of the body," Riley laughs.

At least twenty people approach us and laugh as they see my ass, and Jasper showing off his. Emmett is clearly having a good time, too.

"Stop laughing, dude. I'm sure you're just jealous," Jasper teases, visibly very proud of his body art.

"Honestly, yeah, a little bit," Emmett admits seriously.

"You feel left out or some shit?" I ask, and he nods instantly.

"Kinda!"

"Come on, my man," Jasper cheers. "Get the tattoo, you know you want it!"

"Rose is going to kill me," Em tries to reason, but he obviously wants to do it.

"No, she's just going to make fun of you," I reply. We spend the entire time it takes to get my tattoo done trying to convince Emmett to have the same one done too. And he's more than ready to cave.

"Are you guys sure you're not drunk," Riley laughs; he's probably the one having the most fun in this, or at least it makes up for having to stare at our asses for half an hour. "Ok, I'm done"

"Wait…can you add something?" I ask before he has a chance to put down the needle. The idea has been turning in my head for a few hours, and the more I think about it, the more I find it impossible not to do it.

"Sure," he says.

"I want a 'B' inside the heart," I simply state, and suddenly Jas and Em are silent.

"That's a pretty serious move, bro," Em finally says, a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

"I already have her under my skin," I counter and his smile widens.

"I love this!" Jasper shouts. He's almost bouncing everywhere, Alice is clearly rubbing off on him. "I'm going to get an 'A' in mine, and Emmett, dude, you gotta get that heart and put an 'R' in it. Come on!"

"Alright, I'll fucking do it," Emmett accepts, although I knew from the start that he would.

Riley finishes my tattoo and moves on to modifying Jasper's before getting Emmett's done. People keep staring at us and laughing, maybe thinking we're crazy. But we're just happy, and in love. We look like three irresponsible boys, making decisions without thinking twice. Nobody would guess that the guys getting the same pink heart on their ass are in fact a lawyer, an architect and a financial analyst.

We talk a little bit longer with Riley, and apologize for taking so much of his time for that kind of tattoo. After all, most of the artists come here to show off their work, and their skills. From what he says, he had the most fun in a long time in that kind of events, and he'll definitely be telling this story to a bunch of his friends.

We make our way through the crowd, looking for our ladies, the anticipation and excitement over seeing their reaction bubbling inside the three of us.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: The tattoo is done...I hope you guys had as much fun reading as I had writing this one!_**

**_Thanks for all the reviews, I love you all for all the kind words you send me! _**

**_As usual thanks to my beta theotherbella for her awesomeness :)_**

**Love-making French: **  
><em><br>_J'adore sentir ta peau contre la mienne: __I love feeling your skin against mine__  
><em>Sentir la chaleur de ton corps: <em>__feeling your body so warm___  
><em>Mon amour, je t'aime tellement: <em>___My love, I love you so much

**____I'm also updating High School Reunion, the one-shot I wrote for the Public Lovin' Contest...that is now a multi-chapter story! Go read and tell me if you like it!____**

____**Leave me some love, I live for it! :)**____


	22. Body art

**Chapter 22 – Body Art**

**BPOV**

Honestly, I thought it was going to hurt more. It's not as painful as I imagined, although I can't really say that it's a pleasant sensation either. I can't even focus on the feeling of the needles piercing my skin, my mind keeps drifting back to Edward as I imagine his reaction when he sees the black orchid tattooed on my hip.

I'm lying on my side, my jeans pulled down to my thighs. I anticipated this and decided to wear boy shorts this morning, and I just keep the fabric as high as I can on my hip so that I don't have to be bare ass in front of everyone.

Alice is chatting with the tattoo artist, even though she's not really interested in getting one. She's probably too scared of needles for that. And Rose is watching the crowd, standing still in front of the stand like a bodyguard, in case Edward would come in our direction. I don't want him to see it before it's finished.

It takes almost an hour and a half to get it done and I started to worry that Edward would find us before it was over. Luckily he didn't, even though I wonder how it could possibly take longer for him to get tattooed than it did for me. It's not impossible that he got a bigger piece done while he was there.

We move through the crowd, looking for them, and after a few minutes we finally meet them. I'm bubbling inside, impatient and excited to show Edward what I just did. It did for myself, not for him, I've been thinking about it for a while, but I know it'll drive him crazy.

Rose and Alice are as excited as I am, even though I'm the only one who has something to show.

Edward, Jasper and Emmett finally stop in front of us, the three of them clearly ecstatic about something. They all have a shit-eating grin on their faces and they start talking to us loudly all at the same time.

The girls and I exchange a look and we turn back to them, trying not to laugh. Rose is the first one to speak.

"Settle down, boys, one at a time. Edward, did you get your tattoo?"

"I did. We did." We all stare at them in shock for a second, not sure we understood correctly.

"What?" Alice asks.

"All three of you got the same tattoo?" Rose adds. I remain silent as Edward keeps his eyes on me.

"Yes," they all respond proudly at the exact same time, nodding enthusiastically and tapping each other on the back. Us girls exchange another disbelieving look before laughing. We don't have time to ask or say anything else, they're clearly too excited to let us even digest the news.

"Come on, you have to see this." Jasper drags Alice out of the room to head back to our suite and we follow.

"But you already had yours…" Alice has a point, why is Jasper so excited over something he already had done years ago? And he just gives her a cryptic answer, along with a wink.

"I completed it. Something was missing."

We walk in the corridor, Edward is holding my hand in his, a proud smile on his face, but he doesn't say a word. We enter the suite and they motion for us to sit on the couch. We take a seat, me on the right end with Rose by my side and Alice next to her. Emmett, Edward and Jasper stand in front of their respective girl and turn around.

We're effectively facing their ass, we know what's going to happen next, and we just can't stop laughing. This is, bar none, the most atypical situation I've ever experienced.

They undo their pants, pulling them down with their underwear just enough to reveal their ass, making a big show out of it. They remove the cloth pad covering their cheek to avoid friction between the tattoo and their clothes, but they're not fast enough for Rose who's getting impatient.

"Come on, hurry up! We're not going to stay here for hours with your ass in our faces!" Her yelling just make Alice and I laugh harder, and the guys chuckle, too.

"Ok, ok…there it is," Edward says as they all reveal their tattoo at the same time, making us gasp before laughing again. The three of them have a very girly pink heart in the middle of their ass cheek, each of them with a letter in it.

"You wrote my initial on your ass?" Alice says, halfway between offended, shocked and laughing so hard she can barely breathe.

"Yes!" Jasper seems very proud of his gesture, as if what we just did was the most natural and romantic thing ever.

I turn my gaze back to Edward's tattoo, studying the flawless curves of my initial carved on his skin. I put my hand on his hip, brushing my thumb next to the tattoo, and he turns his upper body to look down at me, waiting for my reaction now that the amusement has faded a little.

"I don't know what to say…it's either the stupidest or the most romantic thing I've ever seen." My voice is still teasing him, but I'm sure he can see in my eyes that I absolutely love the gesture.

"I don't get it. You didn't lose any bet," Rose comments on Emmett's tattoo. If he really wanted to get Rose's initial, he could have done it without the pink heart.

"I know, but I wanted to be a part of the gang," Emmett whines with a pout on his lips, and we all laugh.

They put the cloth back in place and their pants back on as we stand up from the couch and kiss them softly. They deserve it. Edward trails his lips softly on mine, gliding his hands down my back to rest them on my waist. I can't hold it any longer, I have to reveal my surprise.

I pull away slightly and look at him with a smile, relishing in the love I witness in his gaze for a moment before I speak.

"Now that you've showed me yours, can I show you mine?" His entire body stiffens in shock against mine, his eyes wide open.

"You got a tattoo?" His heart is accelerating, I can feel it hammering in his chest. I just bite my lip, looking at him from under my lashes and nod.

"Show it to me. Now," he orders impatiently, his cock already growing hard against my belly. This is definitely going to bring him to his knees. I take a step back, trying hard not to look too smug, and start unbuttoning my jeans.

"Don't fucking tell me you showed your cute little ass to everyone," he asks angrily, and I fucking love it when he's jealous.

"Do you want to see it or not?" I just counter with a challenging look, and he shuts his mouth into a thin line. I push my jeans down to my thighs, exposing the black silky boy shorts covering my butt. Edward exhales deeply, obviously relieved that I wasn't wearing a thong.

I slowly reach for the hem of the short on my left hip, lifting the fabric to reveal the same cloth pad they have on the ass.

"You're going to love it, even _I_ want to do her when I look at it," Rose jokes as they're all waiting to see the tattoo, and Alice hums in acquiescence. I chuckle, feeling smug that my friends would think that even though we would never act on it, and Emmett makes a crude comment about girl on girl action. We all laugh except Edward who wasn't even listening, his eyes locked on my hip, his jaw flexing nervously.

I hold my boy short with one hand and pull at the pad with the other, slowly revealing the drawing. Edward crouches in front of me and rests a hand on my thigh.

"Holy motherfucking shit!" His eyes never leave the design and study the black orchid positioned low on my hip, level with my pussy. The lines are soft, the shadows dancing on the flower, the dark color contrasting with my pale skin. It looks as if it's delicately placed on my hip, with the stem running down to the apex of my thigh. I never would've thought it'd look so perfect, but I think it does.

"Do you like it?" I ask Edward and he just mumbles is response.

"Fuck, are you kidding me, _puce_, this is….fuck, I just…Fuck!"

"Was that a yes or a no?" I turn to Jasper for translation, causing Edward to reach behind me and slap my ass playfully.

"That was a yes."

"It really is beautiful, Bells," Emmett comments with a smile. "Sometimes I can't believe how the awkward misfit girl I took under my wing in school turned into such a hot piece of ass. I'm proud of you."

I pull my pants back on, forcing Edward to tear his gaze away from my hip, and Emmett pulls me into a big hug.

"How long before we have to leave?" Edward asks, and we can hear Rose's smile in her voice as she answers.

"About an hour and a half."

"Good." He snatches me out of Emmett's arms to push me back to our bedroom, slamming the door shut as soon as we're in.

"We need a mirror." He leads me to the bathroom and I don't even answer. I just watch him as he throws on the floor the bathrobes hung behind the door, revealing the full length mirror. "Take off your clothes," he orders and pulls his shirt over his head. I obey, driven by the same need that is radiating from him. I desperately want his hands on me, his body against mine, and after a few seconds we're both completely naked. He pulls me flush against him and a deep moan escapes his mouth as his hard cock is pressed between our bodies. I press myself against him as he kisses me passionately, thrusting his tongue in my mouth. He's as desperate as I am.

He pulls away and turns me around, guiding me to face the wall, and I let him take the lead. He brings the open door perpendicular to the wall and stands behind me. I keep my hands flat on the wall, his body brushing against my back, his cock resting between my butt cheeks. He lifts his hand to my chin, urging me to turn my head to the left only to see our reflection in the mirror.

His eyes study me in the mirror, and I watch us from head to toe. I bite my lip as I'm overcome by pure lust, the vision of us being the most arousing thing I've ever seen. My gaze moves up our legs slowly, lingers on my hip and I admire the tattoo I just got, and after a few moment I let my eyes travel higher to Edward's ribs and his chest covered by his tattoo.

"We look like the sexy cover of a tattoo magazine." I think as I see us, and don't even realize I actually say it out loud.

Edward snakes his arm around my waist and I instinctively stand on the tip of my toes to align his cock with my ass. I can't refrain from grinding against him and he hisses. I lean on the wall, my back arched in need, my head still turned to the mirror. His hands caress my shoulders, bringing my long hair to the other side, giving a perfect view of my breasts in the mirror. He moves down my sides slowly, the warmth of his hand setting my body on fire, and stops at my waist. His feet come pushing mine apart, forcing me to spread my legs so that he can step between them, and he swiftly reach between my thighs from behind, sliding his middle finger in my pussy.

"So wet, _ma puce_." His words and his finger in me elicit the most desperate whimper and he slides his fingers out to rub my clit. I arch my back even more, silently begging him to take me and I feel his cock pushing between my lips.

"Lift you knee and put it on the wall," he commands again and I obey on instinct, completely surrendering to him. I raise my left knee until I can rest it high on the wall in front of me. "Now look," he continues, and my eyes lock on his cock at my entrance. In this position I can see everything in our reflection. He brings his chest closer to my back, his lips ghosting over my ear, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine as he whispers. "Do you want to see my cock slide inside your pussy, _ma puce_?"

"Yes, I want to see you fuck me," I beg. I'm panting already, dying with anticipation, my pussy throbbing from the unbearable need to feel him inside.

His left hand is on my lower back, the other on my shoulder and his eyes are locked on me in the mirror. His stare is carnal, the green of his eyes darkened with want as he pushes himself inside of me until he fills me completely. The sight of his cock disappearing in me is even more arousing than I imagined; I gasp and bite my lip.

"Again," I beg, and he slides out of me, his dick glistening from my wetness. He pulls completely out and thrusts back in softly again and again. The sight is driving me crazy, it's too overwhelming to remain as slow as this and I want him to slam into me harder. Last night I desperately needed him to make love to me, but today I just need him to fuck me, hard. After all, in this mirror we almost look like porn stars.

I drop my knee from the wall and put my foot back on the floor, watching myself on the mirror as I graze my left hand along my neck and down my chest. Edward keeps his eyes on me, his gaze is following my hand sliding over my breasts, pinching my nipple and I push my ass into his hips. He moves in and out of me softly as I keep travelling down. I moan as I reach my clit and start rubbing slowly. His hand joins mine between my thighs, our fingers entwined. He keeps stroking me and I move my hand to my entrance and grab the base of his cock, the only part not fully inside of me. He lets out a throaty grunt, his grip on my shoulder constricting as I hold him tightly. Feeling him thrusting into me with my hand is driving me slowly to the edge. I wish I could see at the same time and he visibly has the same idea because he grabs my wrist and force me to release him.

He stretches my arm behind my back and places my hand between our bodies from behind. I moan as I look at us in the mirror and he grunts too. I grab his cock firmly as he rocks his hips back and forth, sliding in my hand and my pussy at the same time. From the reflection in the mirror, it looks like I'm just using his cock to fuck myself from behind. It's driving me completely insane, and clearly him, too.

He puts both hands on my shoulders; he seems unable to control his pace anymore, going faster and faster and I put my hand back on the wall for support. He pushes on my shoulders, urging me to step back and bend over completely. I watch him in the mirror, my eyes devouring his chest, his muscles flexing every time he thrusts, the shadows dancing over his tattoo, and I look back again at his hips slamming against my ass.

He keeps his eyes on us, too, and watches himself fuck me, his gaze roaming over my legs spread for him, my breasts bouncing in rhythm, and the orchid on my hip obviously driving him completely wild.

"_T'aimes ça, ma puce_?" He asks in a grunt as he thrusts harder.

"Yes," I whimper, the sound of his voice in French bringing me even closer to my release.

"_T'en veux encore?"_

"Yes…more…harder." He shoves his cock deep inside, pounding into me hard and our eyes lock in the mirror. The look in his eyes is obscene and feral, and my pussy tightens around his cock. He thrusts harder, earning the wildest screams of pleasure from me as I can't hold them back, and loud grunts erupt in his throat as we both come.

We try to bring our breathing back to normal as he pulls out of me and brings my back flush against him. He locks his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"We need to buy a fucking mirror," he says breathlessly, making me turn my head to kiss me savagely and thrust his tongue in my mouth.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Thank you for reading and even though I didn't have time to reply (again!) I'm truly touched by all the reviews!**_

_**This chapter was a little bit shorter...but mirror sex! ;)**_

_**As usual, a huge thanks for my awesome beta theotherbella!**_

_And the french:_

T'aimes ça?_: Do you like that?_

T'en veux encore?_: Do you want more?_

_**Please keep reviewing!**_


	23. Our Home

**Chapter 23 – Our home**

**EPOV**

It took all the strength I had for me to tear myself away from Bella's naked body and get out of that hotel room. I wish I could have stayed there for days, forever even. And it seemed to be as hard for her as it was for me. That weekend we spend together in Las Vegas was the best time I had had in years, and being with Bella is the most obvious reason why. We shared a lot these past two days, promised a lot to each other without even saying the words out loud. I've never been so sure of anyone in my life, as if I was meant to be with her, and I could finally breathe.

Unfortunately, we had to check out of the hotel and catch our flight back to Seattle. It was by far the most painful flight I've ever been on. One of the passengers was snoring so loudly, at first we thought there was a problem with the plane and we were going to crash. I wanted to take her to the tiny bathroom and be inside her even more this time, but the plane was still too small and the flight too short for me to fuck her senseless without being noticed, so we just waited impatiently for the plane to finally land.

We got caught by surprise by the cold as soon as we got off the plane. The weather in Las Vegas was much warmer, and the depressing feeling that I wished we were still over there constricts my chest.

We had a lot of fun this weekend but it was really exhausting. We didn't sleep much, and it was also draining emotionally. Bella and I could've have gotten married last night; some part of me wanted to and I know she wanted it as well. Even though I already knew that what I feel for her is deep, the intensity of it took me by surprise. All I could do was showing her how much she means, and making love to her was absolutely mind-blowing.

I can't wait to be back home, get Bella close to me on the couch, nestled in my arms, and just cuddle for the rest of the day in front of some dumb TV show.

She never lets go of my hand as we exit the plane, the airport and then get into Emmett's car. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett obviously feel as downhearted as I am that the weekend is already over, they all remain silent for the entire ride, smiling nostalgically at each other.

Emmett drops us off first, we congratulate Alice and Jasper one more time and Alice inhales sharply right before we exit the car.

"Wait," she almost yells, alarming the rest of us. "I completely forgot, I assumed it was evident so I didn't even ask." She's holding Bella's hand, her eyes wide as if she had forgotten to reveal a vital piece of information, and we're all waiting. "Will you be my maid of honor?"

Bella laughs the sweetest laugh I've ever heard from her and throws her arms around Alice's neck. "Of course I will."

Jasper catches my gaze as they hug again and in this moment I'm dying for him to ask me to be his best man. I'd understand if he didn't, we've spent the past four years fighting, or not talking at all. I wasn't there to share the important steps of his relationship with my own sister. He spent much more time with Emmett, and it would be completely normal to choose him.

I drop my eyes, saddened by the idea that I won't be by his side for the more important day of his life, but he chuckles at the other end of the car. I lift my eyes to him again and he smiles.

"I didn't ask either, because it seemed obvious, too. I want you to be my best man, Edward," he says earnestly and I unconsciously let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thanks, man." I hold my hand out for him to shake but he just pulls me into a hug over Alice and Bella's lap.

"We were supposed to stop hugging," I joke but pull him even closer.

"They're so cute together," Emmett sings as he turns in his seat to look at us, making the girls giggle.

We finally exit the car, each of us wearing a big smile on our lips, and make our way to the apartment in silence. As soon as the door is open, I drop my bag to the floor and grab hers to put it down, too. I lock my arms around her before she can even turn to face me.

"I want you in my arms, right now," I murmur in her hair. "I need it."

She turns around and presses her whole body against mine, bringing her hands to my hair and pulls me into a tender kiss. I can't repress the desperate moan escaping my throat and my hands slides down to her ass on their own accord.

"I don't want this weekend to be over. Let's enjoy it a little while longer," I suggest, squeezing her ass to pull her closer to my already hard cock. All I get as a response is a moan that sounds as desperate as mine.

I push her backwards to the couch, our lips brushing tenderly, and help her lie down.

"We haven't even taken off our coats." She tries to reason me but her voice is far away in her haze, her body melting against mine.

"Take off whatever you want, _ma puce._"

She shrugs out of her jacket and throws it on the floor, and I follow her. I lie on top of her and kick off my shoes and she does the same.

I grab the remote control and kiss the tip of her nose before settling next to her. She watches me dumbfounded and I just laugh quietly. I make her shift so that she's on the edge of the couch, her back turned to me and we're facing the TV. I turn it on and put the remote in her hand, her face still flabbergasted.

"Choose whatever you want, I'll have other preoccupations for the next few hours," I mutter against her shoulder as I start caressing her thigh. Her expression softens, a small smile lifting the corner of her delicious mouth but she doesn't say a word and flips through the channels.

I keep her body pressed against mine, pushing my cock on her ass. I prop myself up on my elbow to rest my head in my hand, and let the other feel every inch of her body I can reach.

After a moment she stops on a TV show and puts the remote down on the coffee table, but I'm so focused on her I don't turn even a second to see what it is.

I roll up the sleeve of her sweater and trace the tip of my fingers along her arm. I move from her fingers to her elbow, bringing my mouth to her ear and sucking gently on her lobe. Her breath hitches instantly, her ass pushing back to grind against my cock, and I already know I won't be able to play this game for hours.

I move my fingers to her neck, tracing the line of her collarbone and grazing the skin of her cleavage, very slowly. She's writhing next to me, trying to bring her body closer to mine.

I ghost my hand down over her breasts and she gasps. I move further down and slip it under the hem of her sweater and she's almost panting. I run my fingers on her soft skin, travelling from her side to the underside of her breast, then down to her belly button. She's breathing heavily, and I'm just dying to ravish her. I trace my fingers down to the waistband of her jeans and play with the button for a while; I can feel it's driving her crazy; I fucking love playing with her that way, I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it. I continue down, scratching my nails on the fabric right over her pussy. Her legs part instinctively but I just push her leg back down and she groans.

"You're killing me."

"I know," I breathe next to her ear. She laughs softly and I continue my ministrations, my hand travelling everywhere I can. The TV is still on in front of us, but neither of us is watching.

I brush her skin softly until I can't take it anymore and my touches become a bit rougher. My hand clutches her side and I grind against her ass, making her whimper as she rocks her hips to meet mine. I move up to massage her breast, pull at her bra to reveal her hard nipples, as her hand moves behind her, palming my cock through my jeans and I push myself in her hand. She releases me only to move to the button and try to open it. I slide my hand from under her sweater to help her, and I end up pulling down my pants as she's taking off hers along with her panties without moving from her spot.

She resumes her position against me, her back against my chest, her ass pressed on my cock. I place my arm under her head and she entwines her fingers with mine. I use my other hand to lift her leg and hold her, her thighs spread for me. She reaches between her legs and grips my cock to position me at her entrance. I can't wait this time, I want to be inside her too much to even tease her. I push hard and groan at the sensation of being so deep inside her.

We start moving slowly at first but our movements quickly become frenetic, and the position is restricting my movements.

"I need to fuck you harder." My voice sounds desperate and wild, my hands holding on to her brutally.

"Yes, harder, please," she moans.

I keep her against me and sit up, bringing her with me so that she's straddling my lap. My jeans are still at my knees and she pushes them down my legs until I can kick them off. I snake one arm around her, keeping her flush against me as I knead her breast, play with her nipple, and my other hand moves down to her clit. She places her feet on the table, pushing to lift her ass and slam back down on me. Our hips are moving in rhythm, the pace quickening, the thrusts becoming harder. I rub her clit fast as my cock slides in and out of her frantically.

She places one hand on the couch beside me for support, the other reaching between us to massage my balls.

"Fuck! So fucking good, baby," I grunt. Her hips rock back and forth, taking me in and out of her, her hand groping my balls. This feels so fucking extreme, I'm going to explode.

I release her clit and fist my hands in her sweater. She gasps, knowing very well what I'm about to do. She puts both hands behind my head, tugging at my hair and I'm losing it. I tear her sweater apart in one hard pull, baring her beautiful tits to me and she moans again. I grab both her hips, careful not to touch her tattoo, dig my fingertips into her flesh, holding her up and lifting my hips to pound into her. I fuck her hard, fast, and her screams of pleasure as she comes is all it takes to make me join her in one last frantic thrust.

We remain on the couch for the longest time, holding each other, before we finally get up. She grabs her jeans and panties to walk to the bathroom and I do the same.

We get dressed, kissing each other every time one of us moves and ends up closer to the other. I watch her as she exits the bathroom, I'm behind her as she reaches the entrance of the apartment and grabs her bag on the floor.

I'm about to go in the kitchen to get us something to drink, but I stop dead in my track as it dawns on me, I realize what she's about to do. I turn around and follow her, and she's in fact putting her clothes away in her closet, in her room.

I've never paid too much attention to it in the past few weeks, but now it hits me, and the mere thought of it sickens me. We both have our own room, separate. Like roommates or friends, but not a couple. I want her clothes in my closet, even though we're going to need a bigger one. I don't want us to share a place, I want us to live together.

"What's up?" She brings me back down to earth. I'm leaning on her doorframe, looking at her, lost in my thoughts.

"I love you," I blurt out in a strangled voice and she laughs.

"Me, too."

"Bella, do you want to move in with me?" I don't move from my spot, my voice back to normal; calm, determined, decided. She watches me carefully and I can see in her eyes she doesn't understand.

"I was pretty sure we already lived together…"

"Not really." I counter immediately. "I can't stand what you're doing right now."

"Folding my clothes?" She asks with a raised eyebrow, clearly amused by the conversation. I must look like a crazy person to her; of course we already live together, but she doesn't see what I see.

"Putting them in _your_ closet, in _your_ room, in _my_ apartment."

"I'm not sure I'm following you…" She trails off. Her tone has changed, she's not amused anymore, her expression has morphed to hopeful. I'm sure she understands what I mean, she just needs me to confirm. I walk to her and lock my arms around her waist, my lips brushing against hers, my eyes never leaving hers.

"I don't want you to live in my apartment. I want _us_ to live in _our_ apartment. I want to sell this place, and I want you to choose with me…somewhere bigger if you want, maybe even a house, with a backyard, and lots of bedrooms for all the kids I intend to impregnate you with." Her eyes grow wide, a sparkle of happiness and excitement glowing in them and a shit-eating grin lighting her face.

"Are you serious?"

"I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I want you to be my wife someday, to bear my children, but for now let's start with building our home together." It almost sounds like a question even though I already know her response.

"I love you, so much," she whispers and crashes her lips on mine. Her arms are locked behind my neck and I lift her off the floor, her feet dangling in the air. I crush her body against mine, I hold her as close as I can but it's still not close enough. Everything feels right, it all makes sense like it never has before.

"_Je t'aime, ma puce_," I murmur in her hair, my nose buried in the crook of her neck.

_THE END_

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><p><em><strong>AN: Yes...the end already :(**_

_**Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I absolutely loved all the kind words you left me. I got such an amazing response to this story, you guys really made me so happy I don't even have words...**_

_**Thanks to the best beta in the world theotherbella, I loved working with her on this one!**_

_**This story ends where I had planned from the start...but I love those two so much, I might write an epilogue or a few outtakes, maybe...**_

_**You know what? You tell me what you want and I'll write it for you! :)**_

_**Thanks again so much. I love you all!**_

_**I'm still updating my other fic High School Reunion, I hope I'll see you there! And I'm starting to work on something new, too... ;)**_


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